BOX SCORE WINONA, MINN. – Augustana soccer scored its first goal against Winona State in eight years in a 3-1 losing effort on Sunday in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play. The Vikings' loss dropped their record to 8-7-1 (6-6-1 NSIC) on the season, while the Warriors improved their record to 12-2-2 (11-2 NSIC).
With beautiful playing conditions on Sunday, Augustana's offense was unable to do much against a very stout Winona State defense. The Warriors came into Sunday's game allowing the fewest goals in the NSIC and showed why as they were able to hold the Vikings to a season-low seven shots in the match and took advantange on the offensive side of the field.
In the first half, both teams played to a standstill until the 38th minute of play when Winona State's Mehan Bolton notched the game's first goal. Bolton took a Shauna Rodman pass, got behind Augustana keeper
Ashley Limmer, and netted her third goal of the year, giving the Warriors a 1-0 lead.
The Vikings couldn't find an answer to the stifling defense played by Winona State for the rest of the half and went into the break trailing 1-0.
The Warriors held an 11-2 shot advantage in the first half.
It took just a little over three minutes in the second half for Winona State to go up 2-0 on Augustana, building on its lead from the first half. Kati Baker recorded her fourth goal of 2013 by putting a shot past the keeper from inside the box. Alaina Kne was credited with the assist on what turned out to be the game-winning goal.
The Warriors pushed their lead to three in the 55th minute of the match on a Nicole Sames goal. Sames headed in a pass from Hadley Bales, giving Winona State its biggest lead of the game at 3-0.
The Vikings finally got on the board in the second half with an
Annie Thoresen goal in the 67th minute. The Minnetonka, Minn. native ended a five-game pointless streak with her sixth goal of the season – breaking the eight-game streak of being shutout by Winona State - coming on a well-placed pass by
Payton Pry. Pry recorded her third assist of the year, and ninth point of the season on the play, matching her season-total of 2012.
The Warriors' defense tightened up after that, as Augustana couldn't generate much offense after that, ultimately falling 3-1 in defeat.
Winona State outshot the Vikings 22-7 for the match.
For the Vikings, they wrap up the regular season next week, beginning with archrival Sioux Falls (2-13-1, 2-10-1 NSIC) on Friday night. Augustana closes out the regular season on Sunday against #25 Southwest Minnesota State (14-1-1, 11-1-1 NSIC).
