Wayne State College soccer competed in two matches over the weekend with first ending in a 1-1 draw against the Bemidji State Beavers and the second resulting in a 5-0 win against the Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles.
The results from this weekend put the Wildcats at a 5-5-5 record with a 4-3-4 record in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play, giving them 16 standings points, good for ninth in the conference.
On Thursday, Oct. 24, the Beavers got an early goal 25 minutes into the match. The game remained at the score of 1-0 for most of the game. With 10 minutes remaining in the match wildcat Alaina Sorensen fired a shot on goal that was deflected by the Beaver goalie. The ball bounced off the crossbar and came backdown, giving the Wildcats the tying goal. The game ended in a tie with WSC out shooting BSU 23-10.
“We kept our heads up during the Bemidji game,” Sorensen said. “After they scored, we didn’t give up. We kept trying to get a goal.”
Maia Vacks, a senior midfielder, felt that the team’s energy never dropped.
“Our energy was electric the entire game and we worked relentlessly hard,” Vacks said. “When we scored to tie the game, I was super excited and proud of our team for never giving up.”
Sorensen scored the lone goal for the Wildcats and she said she was just so proud of her team.
“The goal was an amazing feeling towards the end of the game and it was what we worked up to do,” Sorensen said. “It was a team effort to tie the game.”
On Sunday, Oct. 27, the Wildcats played Minnesota Crookston. WSC won the game with the score of 5-0. The Wildcats first three goals were scored in the first half by Kaylee Herall, Morgan Rhodes, and Halena Handel.
In the second half Paige Pemberton scored WSC’s fourth goal less then 2 minutes in. The final goal came from Alyssa Ferrin. WSC held a 27-15 advantage in shots. Goalkeepers Sidney Truman and Alexa Hofstetter combined for the team’s sixth shutout of the season.
“We worked as a team and it was with five different players that scored each of the goals so we worked well together,” Sorensen said. “We all cheered for one another and were uplifting to each other the whole time.”
Vacks felt the same about the team coming together for this win.
“Our team has truly come together over the recent games with our passing and movement off the ball improving greatly, it allowed us to capitalize against Crookston,” Vacks said. “In this game we played together and with confidence.”
The Wildcats are currently just on the outside of holding an NSIC tournament spot. The Wildcats will be on the road next weekend for important NSIC play against the University of Mary on Friday, Nov. 1, at 1 p.m. and Minot State, Sunday, Nov. 3, at 12 p.m.
