Winona, Minn. – The University of Jamestown women's soccer team put together a comeback win Friday afternoon as they took down the Winona State Warriors 2-1 in their NSIC opener.
The Jimmies get to 1-2-1 on the season with their conference opening win. Winona State falls to 0-3-0.
The first good look from either team came from the Warriors in the 14
th minute off a Jamestown goal kick. The Jimmies were a bit sloppy with the ball right in front of their goal, and Winona State intercepted a pass, and netminder
Ellie Dake had to dive to break up a point blank shot attempt from Madison Barnick just inside the UJ box.
In the 18
th minute, the Jimmies came down the other end and had their best look of the half from one of their top scorers
Vega Canada. Canada had a good look on the left corner of the Winona State box, but the ball was just inches above the crossbar.
With just under 10 minutes left in the first half, Jamestown was a bit too nonchalant with the ball in their zone again, and this time the home team capitalized. A few seconds after a Jimmies goal kick, a pass at the top of the box was intercepted by McKayla Paukner. Paukner dribbled once to herself to get some space, and placed it bottom right for a goal that Dake had no chance on saving.
Winona State had a few other good looks after their first goal in the closing stages of the first half. The more Warriors shots missed the net, as halftime came around with a 1-0 Warrior lead.
Canada had the only shot in the first half, with Jamestown unable to force Winona State goalkeeper Abigail Rounds to make a save. The Warriors had seven shot attempts with three being on target.
The Jimmies had a decent look in the 59
th minute of the second half, with a cross from the right corner of the goal box leading to a loose ball in the six-yard box, though Winona State cleared the ball right before
Andra Greer got to it.
Dake made a couple more saves in the next few minutes and the Jimmies got their netminder some goal-support midway through the second half.
In the 69
th minute,
Gaby Lopez was battling with a defender in the left corner of the Winona State goal line. Lopez got the ball crossed, and it bypassed a couple of defenders around the six-yard box, and right to Breanna Oettle. Rounds was moving left to try and stop the shot, and Oettle went opposite, slotting in into the bottom left corner of the goal as the Jimmies celebrated with a game-tying goal with a quarter of the game left to play.
Heading into the 79
th minute
Julliet Lopez was flying down the left side of the field and got all the way past the core of the Warriors defense. Lopez fired a deep shot almost in the corner, and it went high and past Rounds for the second Jamestown goal of the afternoon.
Late into the game with the Jimmies playing with a lead for the first time in the season, UJ faced quite a bit of pressure from the Warriors. Winona State had two shots on goal, and a couple of late corner kicks, but Jamestown stood strong, making the defensive plays they needed to as they took down the Warriors for their first win of the season.
Oettle got her second goal of the season, while the
Julliet Lopez got her first goal of her career and
Gaby Lopez notched her first-career assist.
Winona State outpaced the Jimmies in total shots (12-6) and shots on goal (7-3). The Warriors had six chances on corner kicks while UJ had two.
The Jimmies will look to keep up the momentum Sunday afternoon where they will battle with the Bears of Concordia University St. Paul at 1 p.m.
