UMM 5, Bethany Lutheran 1
One year ago, the Cougar women’s soccer team lost a heartbreaking match to Bethany Lutheran. After outshooting the Vikings on their field 28-3, the Cougars lost on a last minute goal, 1-0.
Before today’s rematch in Mankato, team captains Maddy Gerber and Nina Jarnot, still harboring some bitterness over that defeat, reminded their teammates that it would not happen again.
And they were right.
The 2009 version of this match-up had similar statistics (34 UMM shots to BLC’s 3), but this time the most important stat was vitally different: 5-1 in favor of UMM.
It would be easy to assume great defense played a major role in this game, but head coach Dan Magner said it was just the opposite: offense. “We took great care of the ball when we got it. We took possession and kept possession. It wasn’t so much our defense but rather how we handled the ball.” The Vikings managed to get past midfield only a handful of times during the match.
The Cougars came out with guns a-blazing, notching two goals in the first ten minutes. Nina Jarnot scored her third goal of the season on an assist from Katie Kestner at the 3:11 mark. Three minutes later, Amber O’Connor blasted a shot from 25 yards out into the upper 90 for her fourth goal of the year.
“Being up two goals in ten minutes put us in great position strategically. We just had to play smart from that point,” Magner said.
Freshman Tayler Fairchild scored the first goal of her career at the 19 minute mark, a beautiful header off a cross from Taylor Meehan.
After a second goal from O’Connor, freshman Molly Olson closed out the scoring with a tally just before halftime, knocking home a pass from Leah Parker.
All 23 Cougars played in the game, giving the starters some rest for their match-up with Martin Luther tomorrow in New Ulm.
The Cougars improve to 3-4 with the victory.
Box Score
