Box Score MANKATO, Minn. – A slow start to the game saw a young Bulldog lineup drop a 5-1 decision to No. 6-ranked Minnesota State - Mankato in SWOSU's 2015 season opener on Thursday afternoon.
SWOSU's lone goal of the game came courtesy of
Samantha Nunez late in the match. The goal gives SWOSU's No. 9 a career goal total of 17, good for a three-way tie for second place in the all-time standings along with Josie Price and Carrie Dumbauld.
After enjoying large swaths of the ball to begin the game, the Mavericks pressed their advantage in possession and broke the deadlock when Maddy Burandt crossed the ball to Julia Zach in the middle of the box, who just beat
Courtney Flores in the 26th minute with a header. Mankato doubled their advantage 15 minutes later in the 41st minute off a corner. Though the initial cross on the restart failed to find its intended target, a well-worked second effort saw Bri Lindstrom head down the ball to Jenny Hoerter who placed the shot in the back of the net.
Though initially starved for possession and shots, the introduction of
Samantha Nunez late in the first half sparked the Bulldogs offensively. In just 14 minutes of action, the redshirt senior accounted for four of SWOSU's six shots in the half, while forcing two saves from the Mavericks' Lauren Hoeppner. The Bulldogs went into the interval trailing 2-0.
Shortly after the restart, the Mavericks heaped more misery on a young Bulldogs squad off yet another corner in the 53rd minute. A corner whipped in by Kiana Nickel was headed across by Korey Kronforst to Sidni Trotter for the first goal of the half. SWOSU continued to push for their first goal, but
Cori Kelly's curling shot fell straight into the arms of Hoeppner. Not five minutes later, a 58th minute corner from Abby Hausken found the forehead of Kronforst whose header beat Flores near post for a 4-0 advantage. Hausken then capped the scoring for the Mavericks in the 63rd minute with a speculative shot from 20 yards out that nestled in the back of the goal.
Nunez and the Bulldogs were able to pull one back in the 78th minute.
Eva Rule pushed the ball along to Nunez who was able to bury it in the goal for her first goal since Oct. 11, 2013.
SWOSU falls to 0-1-0 as a result of the match. The Bulldogs will have a day to regroup before traveling to St. Paul, Minn., on Sunday to take on Concordia, St. Paul in a contest slated for a 1 pm start time.
