McLean County Times

Facing a formidable opponent, the Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU) women's soccer team fell to the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UWL) with a 2-0 scoreline. The match took place on Sunday, September 8, during the Midwest Tournament in River Forest, Illinois.

Despite the loss, IWU managed to limit UWL's victory margin to two goals, matching the Eagles' narrowest win of the season. UWL dominated in shots on goal with a 17-5 advantage and corners at 14-1. However, IWU's freshman goalkeeper Grace Kiewiet made an impressive 15 saves compared to UWL's five.

Kiewiet's performance set a new personal record and marked the third-highest single-game saves in IWU program history. Her previous best was six saves against Wartburg just a day prior. In the first half alone, she faced 15 shots and recorded ten saves.

The Eagles scored their first goal in the 19th minute following a corner kick rebound. They appeared to double their lead in the 31st minute, but an offsides call kept IWU within one goal at halftime.

In the second half, UWL extended their lead with a goal in the 62nd minute from a long pass into the box. Despite efforts from IWU freshmen Liza Wiley and Vanessa Gray late in the game, they could not find the net. A final attempt by junior Bree Cordray was thwarted by a collision in the box.

With this result, UWL improved to a perfect 4-0 record while IWU continues searching for its first win of the season at 0-4. The Titans will play next against Knox College on Wednesday, September 11.