UND’s women’s soccer team jumped out to an early 1-0 lead against the University of South Dakota but could not hold on, extending their winless streak to eight games.
The Fighting Hawks women’s soccer team tied USD with a score of 1-1 last Thursday afternoon at Bronson Field.
Just three minutes into the game, UND cracked the scoreboard on a flashy pass from senior midfielder Irene Jirasevijinda.
Jirasevijinda caught a pass from sophomore midfielder Avery Toms and delivered a beautiful feed to sophomore forward Kaylie Fowler.
Fowler made the most of the amazing pass, kicking the ball into the bottom right corner just inside the penalty area to put UND up 1-0 early in the first half.
UND played ‘bend-but-don’t-break’ defense for the rest of the first half. South Dakota dominated possession but were trapped by the Fighting Hawk defense in midfield.
“Can we get a run?” junior defender Campbell Zimmers shouted in frustration for South Dakota.
Early into the second half, UND’s defense finally broke. South Dakota tied the game up 1-1 on a moon shot from far out into the top right corner by graduate midfielder Janaina Zanin.
South Dakota dominated the game after the first 15 minutes. The Coyotes held possession for most of the game in the attacking half, creating scoring chances with every run they took. The Coyotes outshot the Fighting Hawks 9-3 and had 10 corners to UND’s two.
The Fighting Hawk offense was quiet all second half, until sophomore midfielder Brooke Belcher struck a one-timer from the slot. Belcher shot the ball right into the South Dakota goaltender’s stomach, keeping the game knotted at one.
UND’s back line stood strong all game with an outstanding performance from senior midfielder Alisha Maake. While Maake did not show up on the score sheet, her physical play and countless wins in one-on-one situations kept her team in the game.
Freshman goalkeeper Grace Miller was peppered all game but stood tall for the Fighting Hawks, making plenty of key saves on corners and in the penalty area. Miller especially came through late for her team, keeping the game tied 1-1, helping UND escape with a draw.
The South Dakota trio of junior Izzy Quintavalle, sophomore Kyla Brown, and sophomore Brooke Conway kept the pressure on UND’s defense all game. One of the three was part of almost every run and chance the Coyotes had.
The sun was out, and the wind was throwing 34 mph gusts at the field, but spirits were high at Bronson Field. Both teams’ benches were screaming early with the UND bench taking over vocals throughout the game.
UND wore pink socks for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, while Katie Miller repped an entirely pink kit in net for the Fighting Hawks.
The Fighting Hawks are still searching for their first win in Summit League play. They are 0-3-3 in league play, with a 4-7-5 record overall this season.
UND will finish the regular season at Bronson Field against St. Thomas on Thursday, October 24 at 3 p.m.
Elijah Andrews is the Dakota Student Sports Reporter. He can be reached at [email protected].