History
ROSEVILLE, Minn. – The regionally-ranked St. Olaf College women’s soccer team extended its winning streak to four games with a 3-1 non-conference road victory over the University of Northwestern-St. Paul on Saturday evening at Reynolds Field.
Junior Roxanne Rundle and sophomore Rachel Anderson scored in the opening 20 minutes to get St. Olaf (5-1-0) out to a 2-0 lead, but Northwestern hung around and got a goal from Haley Mersberger in the 80th minute to make it a one-goal game. Junior Wren VanDeWalker sealed the victory for the Oles, who were ranked No. 6 in the United Soccer Coaches Region IX poll, with a goal just 2:01 after the Eagles’ tally.
Rundle gave St. Olaf an early lead in the seventh minute by heading the ball in after senior Cat Duffy-Shaw’s corner found the head of senior Marit Klagge in the box and Klagge directed the ball to Rundle. The goal was the second of Rundle’s career and the first since her rookie season.
Anderson extended the Oles’ advantage to 2-0 just over 10 minutes later with her fourth goal in the last four games. After playing a one-two with Klagge, Anderson weaved through multiple Northwestern defenders in the box before slotting the ball into the lower-right corner.
St. Olaf scored on two of its three shots on goal in the opening half. The Eagles nearly made it a 2-1 game at halftime, but Marie Kendall hit the crossbar on a free kick from 40 yards out inside the final minute of the half.
Early in the second half, sophomore Ava Williams rushed off her line to deny Haley Mersberger, who entered the game with 71 career goals for the hosts, and keep St. Olaf’s two-goal lead intact. Mersberger eventually got Northwestern on the board in the 81st minute with a long-range shot from the right side that flew into the roof of the net.
With their lead trimmed to one, the Oles replied just 2:01 later when VanDeWalker picked out the top-left corner from roughly 25 yards out on the left side. VanDeWalker has recorded either a goal or an assist in each of the last three games.
St. Olaf held a 22-8 advantage in shots, including an 11-5 differential in shots on goal, in the game. Williams picked up the victory in her first start of the season with a four-save performance, while Samantha Hansen had eight saves in the loss for Northwestern.
The Oles will open Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) play at home against nationally-ranked Carleton College at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 16.
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