WINONA, Minn. - The Winona State University women's soccer team scored early in the first half and maintained pressure on Minnesota State Moorhead for a full 90 minutes, beating the Dragons 3-0 for a shutout victory at home in Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium on Friday, Oct. 14.
Winona State senior striker
Riley Harmon latched onto a loose ball in the MSUM penalty area and buried a shot past Dragon goalkeeper Quinn Carter, giving the home side a 1-0 lead in the ninth minute.
Warrior teammate
Jaida Wiege matched Harmon's effort less than ten minutes later, receiving a perfect cross from
Ellie Wardell and slotting the finish home to double the WSU advantage.
Winona State owned most of the field in the first half, outshooting Minnesota State Moorhead 7-3 in the first 45 minutes of play with starting goalkeeper
Chloe Swanson making three saves.
In the second half, WSU earned a corner kick after a flurry of shots in the 65th minute. The restart from the corner flag forced an own goal by Dragons, as a pair of MSU defenders deflected the ball into their own net attempting to clear the danger. With a 3-0 lead, Winona State made the most of their roster depth, subbing frequently and maintaining a high pace of place on a cold night that featured some snowflakes at kickoff.
In the final 45 minutes. WSU held a 10-1 shot advantage and the solitary Dragon effort that did make it's way to the Warrior goal was handled by Swanson who picked up her seventh win of the season and fifth shutout. For Harmon and Wiege, their tallies on the night keep both players at the top of the Warrior offensive leader board, with Harmon's six goals leading WSU and Wiege's five scores next on the list.
With the Warrior win, Winona State moves to 7-4-3 overall and 5-3-3 in the NSIC; WSU will face Northern State University in the back half of the NSIC weekend.
The Wolves - Warriors matchup will feature Senior Day for Winona State, and represents a key opportunity for WSU. Heading into the fixture on Sunday, NSU is 5-2-4 in league play and currently sixth in the NSIC standings while WSU sits in eighth place. The Warriors can move past Northern State with a victory as all 16 teams across the conference head into the home stretch. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. on Maxwell Field in Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 16.
