After a fun-filled day during family weekend, proud parents and students alike gathered late Saturday evening on Oct. 18 to support the women’s soccer team as they took on University of St. Thomas in a non-conference match. The Eagles entered the game with a 3-4-5 record. They ended up falling to the Tommies, 2-4.
UST began the game with the kick-off. Each team played with skill from the start. A bit over 10 minutes into the game, with the ball on the Tommie’s side, they got fouled for a handball. This was inside the box, leading for a penalty kick for the Eagles. Senior Kelly Denk took the shot, scoring for UW-L 13:16 minutes into the first half.
With the Eagles up, they put up a hard fight defensively the first half of the game. They had a bit less time for possession of the ball, leaving UST with four shots on goal to UW-L’s two. Each team ended the half with five fouls.
The second half provided quick scoring. The Tommies put one in the goal 47:51 minutes into the game. To follow up at 49:00 minutes, senior Kirsten Anderson took a shot from the outside, putting UW-L back in the lead, 2-1.
As the game progressed, the Tommies were persistent with taking shots and keeping the ball in their favor. After a ball was sent straight into the crossbar, the Tommies were there to follow up with a header, bringing the scoring to a tie.
There were numerous breakaways in favor of the Eagles, but the Tommies played a hard defense. Over an hour into the game, UST netted another goal, pushing their lead to 2-3.  UST solidified their win with another point added to the scoreboard off of a penalty kick, with just under five minutes left in regulation play.
The Eagles were left to play a strong defensive game. St. Thomas showed dominance with the ball and took 22 shots on goal to the Eagles’ nine. Of those shots, UW-L placed two on target and UST put 11 shots on target. The Eagles’ goalie, senior Ashley Tracy, saved seven of those shots. There was also three blocked by defense, and UST had two shots blocked by defense. UW-L finished the game with eight fouls, while UST finished with 13.
Despite the chilly evening, over 200 spectators came to cheer on each team. Eagles fan Alexa Bacha sat wrapped in a blanket and proclaimed, “It may be cold, but that’s all part of the game! Whether they win or lose, we should all be here to support the team. They put in too much work and time for it to go unrecognized.”
The season is slowly starting to come to a close. The women took on Saint Mary’s University Wednesday, Oct. 22. They will be playing another conference game on Oct. 25 against the Titans of UW-Oshkosh.