Laura Anderson / Winonan

The Winona State University women’s soccer team traveled to Fayette, Iowa to play the Upper Iowa Peacocks on Friday, Sept. 9. The game against Upper Iowa was the first NSIC match of the season and the Warriors lost to the Peacocks 2-0.

The loss came after the Warriors won two games against the Northern Michigan Wildcats and the Michigan Tech Huskies.

“I liked the fight that we showed on the road,” head coach Ali Omar said. “We faced some adversity and we managed to overcome them. I would like to see the team show more patience in running our offense. Although we did well enough to win the games I still think we need to do better executing our offense.”

Playing away games challenge the players with a new environment. Although the team won their away games in Michigan, the team does not always succeed on foreign ground.

“I like playing away games because they are challenging. Away games can be uncomfortable because it is a different environment than what you’re used to,” goalkeeper Rachel Oleson said. “However, being able to conquer that sort of obstacle instead of using it as an excuse as to why you didn’t win can be one of the most rewarding feelings for a team.”

Oleson’s teammate, sophomore Abby Bohanski, also believed the new environment brought the team together.

“Away games bring a whole new atmosphere and force us to stay composed and play our game. We aren’t familiar with the field or the surroundings so we need to stay mentally strong. Another aspect of playing on the road is the bus rides. The rides may be long, but it allows us to bond and have fun as a team,” Bohanski said.

While on the road, Oleson and Bohanski noticed how their team’s positive attitude pushed them through their games and brought them together as a team.

“The thing that stood out the most to me in the last two games was our potential. We saw a lot of good things come from a variety of different players, and I am just excited to see this team progress forward this year,” Oleson said.

Bohanski shared how she notices how the team does a good job of playing as a unit and playing for each other.

“We didn’t let anything get under our skin and we stayed positive for the entire 90 or 90-plus minutes. We had the mentality that we would win and that helped us push each other and come out with two wins.”

On Sunday, Sept. 11, the Warriors had their first home opener. They played the Ferris State University Bulldogs from Big Rapids, Mich. and won 3-2. The team had a total of 16 shots and 10 shots on goal. The goalkeeper, Oleson, had three saves.

Bohanski scored two goals for the Warriors. Her first goal was assisted by Alyssa Reynolds and went across to the middle for a wide-open shot. Meg Riebau assisted Bohanski’s second goal, and Courtney Wiencek’s goal was assisted by Reynolds.

The Warriors’ next two home games are against Bemidji State University on Friday, Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. and University of Minnesota, Crookston on Sunday, Sept. 18 at 12 p.m.

-By Laura Anderson