WINONA, Minn. - The Winona State University women's soccer team, coming off a 3-0 win over MSU - Moorhead on Friday, hosted Northern State University in a key contest on Sunday, Oct. 16, in Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium, with both teams looking to move up the NSIC standings in the final push of the regular season.
For 90 minutes, Winona State clashed with Northern State and the teams eventually settled for a 1-1 draw that saw the Warriors battle back in impressive fashion.
Prior to the match, Winona State recognized ten seniors on Senior Day as the WSU staff and parents took time to thank
Yanel Ortiz,
Ella Roberts,
Ellie Wardell,
Jaida Wiege,
Riley Harmon,
Emily DeVivo,
Sydney Raber,
Bailey Deininger,
Ashley Hewitt and
Katie Timmons for their contributions to the program. After kickoff, the contest took on the feel of postseason soccer, with a pair of back-to-back goals and a physical edge.
Winona State created several quality scoring chances in the opening 15 minutes of play, including a pair of long-range efforts from Warrior left back
Katie Timmons, who forced Northern State goalkeeper Alexus Townsend into a diving on one shot and hit the woodwork with a second effort minutes later.
However, despite the bright start for WSU, Northern State got on scoreboard first, when the Wolves' Hannah Smith scored off an assist by Megan Fasteau, slotting a shot past WSU goalkeeper
Alyson Jumper and staking the visitors to a 1-0 lead.
The Winona State response was swift however, as captain
Reanne Weil made the most of a Warrior corner kick one minute later, latching on to a ball from
Madyson Dye to drive a shot past Townsend to level the teams at 1-1. For Weil, the goal was her third of the season and came at a critical time of the contest. Neither team scored in the remainder of the first 45 minutes, sending the squads to the locker room deadlocked at 1-1.
After the halftime break, Winona State saw shots by
Jaida Wiege and
Bailey Deininger come close to pushing the Warrior advantage but Townsend was equal to the task both times. Overall, both squads saw their shooting sights off just bit in the game, with several scoring chances going wide or high of the goal at both ends of the field. The contest ended 1-1 after 90 minutes, giving each team a point in the NSIC standings.
With the Sunday draw against Northern State and the Warrior win on Friday over MSUM, Winona State (7-4-4, 5-3-4 NSIC) now sits in eighth place in the NSIC standings on 18 points with three matches left in the 2022 regular season.
Next up for WSU will be Wayne State College on Friday, Oct. 21 in a 6:30 p.m. contest at Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium as a part of the 2022 WSU Homecoming festivities.
