Winona State Women’s Soccer team lost 0-1 to Augustana University on Friday, Sept. 20. The match was the first in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) for both teams. It was a tough fight between the two sides but Augustana achieved the victory by scoring a goal in the second half.
Augustana University maintained a slight advantage from the very beginning against the Warriors as they were higher in ranking.
“We knew what was coming,” Warrior assistant coach Matthew Cross said. “You know we scouted that team prior. I would say our defense today did a great job.”
Still, the Warriors had their plans straight. They went on with the same style they had in their first home game, beginning by blocking the Vikings persistent attacks and gaining chances for counterattacks as well.
The Vikings also came prepared, coming out with their wing attack. They attempt to long pass the ball on both sides of the penalty box, which causes chaos. They then look for an opening in the center of the penalty area at that time which typically ensures their goal.
However, these plans were quickly clocked by the new coaching panel of the Warriors. They planned an offside trap that the players executed successfully, even after just four minutes.
After twenty minutes, the Warriors began to counter-attack. They had two new forwards coming into play which gave them a significant boost in attacking speed.
Winona State was able to shoot the ball on target a few times but their attempts were stopped by the Vikings goalkeeper. They also managed to get two corners but could not convert either into a goal.
After this sudden attack, the Vikings began to strategize their plays differently. They made eight players change in the middle of the first half in an attempt to reach the back of the net. This did not make any difference due to the diving efforts of the Warrior’s goalkeeper, Alyson Jumper. Her actions on the field can be considered as highlight reels for any professional match.
After a rather frustrating first half, the Vikings were desperate to score a goal. They took four shots towards the post in the first eight minutes of the second half. It looked as though they already made plans to break the defense of the Warriors.
The Viking’s plans were not executed perfectly, but luck was on their side. At 53 minutes they managed a corner kick that was deflected but was quickly followed up when Viking’s Macie Haggerty received the ball and shot towards the post. The ball got an unexpected deflection due to hitting the body of Augustana’s forward Avery Heinz, ending up in the net.
“We defended really well in the first half. And it’s just one of those goals where, you know, it’s just unlucky. Just hit off somebody and go in,” Jumper said.
After the goal, the Warriors attempted to make a comeback but could not get the desired result.
“We just have to fix the second-half strategy in the next game. We kind of went back to our old habits instead of implementing what we’ve been learning over the past few weeks,” Warrior captain Abigal Williams said. “But just make sure we keep that going the entire 90 minutes instead of just half of the game.”
In the evening, the Vikings shot the ball 14 times towards the post and six of them were on target. On the other hand, the Warriors shot only five times, but they had four on target.
This loss was difficult for the Warriors as every one counts in the NSIC. However, they did not lose their confidence. Warrior defender Callie Manzel said that they knew Augustana was going to be a tough team, maybe one of the toughest teams in the conference, but they were also able to show what they are capable of by keeping them at just one point throughout the entire match.
The Warriors are facing Minnesota State University, Moorhead on Sept. 27. The match will take place at their home ground in Winona.
