Minot, N.D. – The University of Jamestown women's soccer team dropped their final non-league game of the season by the slimmest of margins, 1-0, to Minot State University Friday evening.
The Jimmies will enter conference play with a record of 0-2-1 while the Beavers get their first win of the season as they move to 1-2-0.
Each team had some chances in the first half with the very first shot on goal coming from
Bre Oettle in the seventh minute around the edge of the box that was not particularly difficult for Minot State netminder Rebecca Sargent to save.
Things got a bit scary in the 16
th minute, with a loose ball right around the Jamestown net and goalkeeper
Taylor Musser out of position, but the Jimmies blocked a shot and then Musser recovered to gobble up the ball.
Not much else happened until the final minute of the first half. The Beavers were moving the ball up the field quickly and right outside the box, Musser broke up a play by taking out a Minot State player in pursuit of the ball. The freshman goaltender was given a red card, and the Jimmies were forced to play with 10 the rest of the game.
Vega Canada went in to play some goalie for the final 55 seconds of the first half. Luckily, the Beavers could not do anything with the free kick right outside the box, but the first half ended with the Jimmies gearing up to play down a player the rest of the game and needing a new goalie.
Each team notched five shots and two shots on net through the first 45 minutes. Minot State had three corner kicks in the first half.
Freshman
Ellie Dake entered into the game for the second half, getting her first minutes of game action. The Jimmies did a nice job of keeping the ball away from their net despite being outnumbered on the field. Dake made a save on a long worm burner in the 63
rd minute.
Into the 65
th minute, the Beavers had a free kick opportunity about 20 yards shy of midfield right in front of their bench. Elsa Duquense took the kick and attempted a shot. The ball was placed well, soaring towards the goal above Dake's head, and off her fingertips into the net with the home team getting on the board.
Down 1-0, the Jimmies needed a response, but that was easier said than done while playing 10 v. 11. Jamestown struggled getting the ball in the Beavers defensive half but got their window with 13 minutes remaining. After exactly 77 minutes had elapsed, Leilany Ponce for Minot State picked up her second yellow card of the game and got thrown out as now both teams were playing with 10 players.
Into the 81
st minute, the Beavers lost control of the ball in the Jimmies defensive zone, and UJ came up the field with speed. It was a 3 v. 2 with Canada, Oettle, and
Bailey Fox. Canada passed a beautiful ball to Oettle who took a shot right along the edge of the box. The shot, aimed high and to the right, hit the top woodwork as Sargent went diving to the ground. Fox got the rebound from the opposite side, but missed the target on the shot attempt as the Jimmies went empty handed on a golden opportunity.
Jamestown could not get any more zone time after this chance, with Minot State pinning the Jimmies back in their zone, generating corner kicks and delaying the game as much as possible by kicking it out of bounds when they could. The Jimmies fell 1-0 to the Beavers.
Oettle had two shots, one being on goal while
Kyah Gabel had the only other shot on target for UJ.
Julliet Lopez had two shot attempts, both missing the target. Both Musser and Dake each made two saves.
Final shots ended 12-6 in favor of Minot State while shots on net were 5-2 Beavers. Jamestown never had a corner kick in the game while the Beavers had nine.
NSIC play will start next week with the Jimmies back in action one week from today as they head to Southeastern Minnesota to play Winona State University on Saturday, September 11, at 3 p.m.
