Milwaukee, Wis. – The Mount Mary University soccer team's 2013 campaign got underway with a pair of home losses over the weekend to visiting Crown (MN) College. The Blue Angels came out battling in both Friday evening's opener (3-1 loss) and in the quick 11am Saturday turnaround (2-1).
Friday Result
Crown 3, Mount Mary 1
The visiting Storm jumped ahead early, with a goal from Mary Voss nine minutes in. The Angels answered before the half however when Rasika Perera (JR/OAK CREEK, WI) broke free on the right side and was able to slip a shot past goalkeeper Emily Kirby.
The score remained knotted at 1-1 until the 72nd minute when Crown's Megan Wright converted a penalty kick to give her squad a lead they would not relinquish. Voss finished the scoring with her 2nd goal of the game from outside the box two minutes later.
Saturday Result
Crown 2, Mount Mary 1
The quick turnaround from a 5pm Friday night game to an 11am start Saturday seemed to affect both squads as neither side was able to put together a strong scoring opportunity through the first 60 minutes.
Finally, the Angels' Emily Ristow (JR/SHEBOYGAN, WI) gave Mount Mary its first lead of the season with a goal in the 61st minute. Ristow, the 2012 Association of (NCAA) Division III Independents "Offensive Player of the Year" took a pass from Nicole Ordway (JR/REPUBLIC, WA) and broke free for the score.
The score remained that way for over 15 minutes until a flurry in front the the Angels' net resulted in a Tiffany Krueger goal from point-blank range. A few minutes later it was Voss with a long distance game winner that somehow found space between the cross bar and the outstretched arms of Angel's 6'0 goalkeeper Ashley Leverenz (SR/MAUSTON, WI). Voss' 2nd goal of the weekend would be the game-winner.
Mount Mary (0-2) will take to the road in search of its first win when they travel to Alverno College on September 3rd. That match is slated to begin at 4:30pm.
