MARQUETTE, Mich. – Winona State University got out to an early lead and never looked back Friday afternoon as the Warriors tallied their first win of the 2019 season with a 3-2 triumph at Northern Michigan University. Junior forward Georgette Topalis found the back of the net twice for Winona State.
The Warriors scored early and often for a 3-0 advantage that extended in the early minutes of the second half before the Wildcats stormed back with a pair of second-half goals. Sophomore goalie Yanel Ortiz recorded four saves on the day as the WSU defense held on for the win.
"I was really pleased with the way we came out in the first half and our aggressive approach taking the game to Northern Michigan on their home turf," said head coach Matt Kellogg. "I think we were able to set the tone early and create a lot of chances that we then took advantage of."
In a match that saw a combined 33 shots, Winona State got on the board first with an unassisted goal by senior Courtney Wiencek in the ninth minute of play. In the 28th minute of action, Topalis was assisted by Taylor Johnson for her first score of the game.
After the break, the Warriors picked up where they left off in the first half as Topalis tacked on her second goal of the contest in the 56th minute to pad the WSU lead to 3-0.
Winona State went on the defensive for much of the remaining second half as Northern Michigan uncorked 12 shots over the final 35 minutes. The Wildcats were able to push two goals past the Warrior defense in the second half with scoring shots in the 76th and 81st minutes. Ortiz and the Winona State defense would not concede and held on for the win with several key saves late.
"I think we got away from our game plan a little in the second half and a hard-working team like Northern Michigan took advantage," Kellogg added after the game. "Credit to our team as we stayed strong and were able to finish the game with a tough win on the road."
Northern Michigan held a 19-14 edge in total shots with Winona State posting an 8-6 advantage in shots on goal. All three of Topalis' attempts Friday landed on target.
The Warriors return to action on Tuesday for their final non-conference outing of the season at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside with a 2 p.m. kickoff. Following that, Winona State opens its home and conference slate against Minnesota State Mankato on Friday, September 20.
