Lady Eagles Get Big Weekend Win

Faith's women's soccer team was in action over the weekend with back-to-back games against Eureka College (Eureka, IL) and North Central University (Minneapolis, MN). The Eagles came away with an impressive 10-0 victory over Eureka on Friday, but fell just short, 0-1, to North Central on Saturday, despite battling and holding the Rams scoreless most of the game.

In Friday's game, Faith held the advantage over Eureka before the game even started, as Eureka's team only had 9 players. The Eagles had a wide variety of scoring action in the first half. Freshman Lyndi Shepard netted 3 goals in less than a ten-minute span, earning a hat trick by the 21^st minute. Sweeper Amanda Kocurek launched a shot from way out and connected, putting the Eagles up 4-0. Another freshman Deni St. Lawrence would add 2 goals of her own within five minutes and increase Faith's lead. Krissy Nelson and Allison Yuan also contributed to the offense, each scoring a goal apiece. The Eagles held an 8-0 advantage over the Red Devils entering halftime.

The Eagles added to their lead with quick goals from both Amanda Kocurek and Emily Nelson coming out of the break. With a final score of 10-0, Faith secured their first win of the season. The Eagles dominated possession through the game, allowing the ball to cross midfield only twice. Faith took 17 shots on goal, while Eureka took just one at the end of the contest.

After a quick turnaround, Faith knew Saturday's game against North Central University would provide a much tougher battle. Contrary to Friday's game, North Central controlled ball possession throughout most of the contest. The Rams took a total of 32 shots, while Faith took just 7. Even though North Central had several opportunities to score, the Eagles' defense locked down and kept them scoreless through the first half.

The second half looked like it was going to be a continuation of the first, as the game remained knotted at 0-0. That would change when North Central's Dakotah Sparrman scored what would be the only goal of the game in the 76^th minute. Despite the loss, Faith found many positive points in that game, such as their fight and defensive play.

The Eagles will travel to Mt. Pleasant, IA on Tuesday, September 12, for a matchup against Iowa Wesleyan College at 4 PM.