The Wayne State soccer team has put together a three-game winning streak after a pair of home wins over the weekend that included a first-ever win over Winona State.
A pair of goals by Madison Kemp and Carleigh Wilson powered Wayne State to a 2-1 win over the Warriors Sunday afternoon for the team’s first-ever win over Winona State in program history at the WSC Soccer Pitch.
The Warriors came out of the gates aggressive and got off three shots in the first five minutes of the match, but the Wildcats found their way on the board at the 22:44 mark with a Kemp goal from nearly 30 yards out that flew over the arms of Winona State goalkeeper Yanel Ortiz for a 1-0 lead.
Winona State recorded a goal in the 62nd minute on a Macy Miller shot from inside the box to tie the game at 1-1, but Wilson scored her first goal of the season a minute later for what proved to be the deciding goal.
Rylie Wehner led the way for the Wildcats in shots as she recorded six for the match. Rachel Grisham recorded five saves, while surrendering her first goal in three games.
On Friday, Megan Phillips sailed a 25-yard shot over Upper Iowa goalkeeper Natalie Rudrud with just under 12 minutes remaining to give Wayne State a 1-0 win over the Peacocks on a cold, windy afternoon at home.
The game was played with cross winds of 30-40 mph that affected how the ball was played all afternoon. Both teams recorded four shots in a scoreless first half despite Upper Iowa holding a 4-0 advantage in corner kicks.
Wayne State enjoyed a 9-5 shot advantage in the second half and broke through in the scoring column when Phillips picked up a loose ball and booted a shot into the net at the 78:09 mark.
Upper Iowa got off one last shot with just over a minute left and Wildcat goalkeeper Rachel Grisham came up with her seventh and final save to preserve the shutout.
The Wildcats finished with a 13-9 advantage in shots while UIU held a 7-6 edge in shots on goal. The Peacocks had a 6-2 edge in corner kicks while WSC was called for nine fouls compared to seven on UIU.
Phillips had four shots, all on goal, and the lone goal of the contest for WSC, her second goal of the season. Wehner added four shots (one on goal) while Gabi Rosa had the remaining shot on goal. Grisham posted her fifth shutout of the season recording seven saves in the Wildcat win.
The Wildcats (5-3-3, 5-2-1 NSIC) look to continue a three-game winning streak at home this weekend, hosting MSU Moorhead Friday at 3 p.m. and Northern State Sunday at 1 p.m.
