Two-Game Winning Streak Snapped on Senior Day
ANKENY, Iowa—After two close losses to start the season, the Faith Eagles women's soccer team was riding the high of a two-game win streak into Senior Day, which honored three terrific players in Allison Yuan, Rebecca Sturgis, and Abby Zollinger. Despite a valiant performance, especially from the Eagles' defense, the ladies fell to the University of Northwestern (Minnesota) by the score of 2-0.
In a year that hasn't been normal for anyone, the same can be said about the level of competition Faith athletics teams are having to face this fall. Due to multiple collegiate programs which have decided not to play soccer or volleyball this fall, Faith is facing much larger schools than they would normally play. Northwestern is one of those schools that the women's soccer team will face twice this season, but the ladies more than held their own in a battle that could have gone either way.
Faith was outshot 13-3 in the game, but the defense held Northwestern off the scoreboard the entire first half, taking a scoreless match into the break. Northwestern slipped a goal through at the 50-minute mark, but it was still anyone's game most of the way to the end. The dagger came with just under four minutes to play as a Northwestern goal put the deficit too far out of reach.
Senior Rebecca Sturgis did a magnificent job as goalkeeper, stopping 11 of 13 shots on goal, while fellow seniors Abby Zollinger and Allison Yuan combined for 158 minutes of action as regulars in the Eagles' lineup.
Faith returns to action Friday evening with a road contest at Manhattan Christian at 5 p.m.