On Saturday, Sept. 21, the UW-Eau Claire women’s soccer team traveled to Indianola, Iowa for a non-conference game against the Simpson College Storm.
The Blugolds came into the game with a record of 4-3-1. However, the team evened out their wins and losses when the contest resulted in a 3-2 defeat for UW-Eau Claire.
Emma Donovan, a first-year forward, said the team anticipated that it would be a tough matchup.
“They are a ranked team in our region, but we knew we could stay with them and compete,” Donovan said.
In the first half of the game, UW-Eau Claire conceded two goals by Simpson College. Haley Von Rentzell, a third-year midfield player, said the team really focused on their defensive press against the Storm.
“We knew we’d have to be organized defensively to be successful in this game,” Von Rentzell said. “Once we’d won the ball, our goal was to find our forwards right away. We were able to implement this and it allowed us some solid chances to challenge their defense.”
Towards the end of the first half, Von Rentzell put the Blugolds on the board by scoring a goal with an assist from Donovan. The team went into halftime down 2-1.
Paige Crawford, a third-year defense player, said that this was one of her favorite moments of the game.
“This gave us the momentum we needed to continue to play to the best of our ability,” Crawford said. “The save that one of our center-backs had off the goal line at the end of the first half was also a high-energy moment.”
Overall, the Blugolds executed two shots and three saves in the first half. The Storm offense kept the team’s defense busy in the first half with nine shots total according to Blugold Athletics.
In the second half, Simpson College secured their third goal at the 60 minute mark of the game.
“We kept up the pressure at the beginning of the second half with multiple opportunities for an equalizer, but they got loose and scored again,” Donovan said.
The Storm was up 3-1 until the very last few moments of the game. At the 89 minute mark, Von Rentzell’s attack was successful when she achieved the Blugolds’ second and final goal.
“This past game was definitely frustrating, but it also made me feel excited about our season,” Crawford said. “I think this game showed us how strong we are as a team and that we continue to fight until the last minute.”
Overall, UW-Eau Claire had two corner kicks, six shots and six saves in the second half.
Kennedy Boll, a fourth-year goalkeeper, played the full 90 minutes of the game and was able to save nine out of the 12 shots she faced from the Storm.
“Our forwards worked so hard to challenge Simpson’s defense, while our midfield was matched up against some very skilled players,” Von Rentzell said. “Our defense had the biggest challenge of marking Simpson’s forward, who has a lot of talent.”
Next, the Blugolds will be back on the road to Iowa on Wednesday, Sept. 25, where they will play against Wartburg College.
Coach Sean Yengo said it will be another tough matchup, but he’s excited to see the hard work that the girls have put in this season.
“I’m proud of the way the girls played. There were a lot of highlights,” Yengo said.
UW-Eau Claire defeated Wartburg College during the 2023 season for the first time in their history.
“We know we have to put this game behind us and implement that hard work into our game against Wartburg,” Donovan said. “We are excited that we get another chance so soon to get back on the field and show how quickly we can bounce back and get on the right track.”
Matczak can be reached at [email protected].
