Soccer defeats Winona state 3-0 in NSIC opener

Soccer wrapped up its regular season Oct. 27. On Oct. 31, they entered the first NSIC game against Winona State, defeating them 3-0.

The team tallied five shots on target and 11 shots overall for the win.

Currently, the Vikings are ranked 10th in the regional ranking in the Central Region.

The Vikings soccer team went out with a bang in their last game of the regular season. The Vikings battled against the Wayne State Wildcats and finished the game 2-0.

The game was won by senior Josie Arduser, who scored both successful points. She was assisted by senior Sylvia Fehr, who currently holds the program record for most assists performed by a single player in one game. Not giving the Wildcats a chance to score, the Vikings won the game and ended their regular season with a record of 10-6-2.

The Vikings outperformed their opponents in more than just the season finale. Out of the 18 total games this season, seven of them were won without the other team scoring a single point.

The biggest sweep of the season was against the University of Sioux Falls Cougars, where the Vikings won 6-0. Fehr scored four out of the six goals for that game.

The Vikings’ performance against the University of Minnesota Crookston is equally impressive, with the Vikings winning 5-0.

Even in the games where the Vikings were defeated, they were never beaten by more than two points. A majority of the lost games were only a one-point difference.

Senior Ashley Ask said that teamwork helped to create such a successful season. One of her favorite moments was the game against the University of Mary.

“They scored on us early in the game,” Ask said. “We came back with three great goals. One of the goals was a team effort in which we connected 15 passes.”

The Vikings’ soccer team overcame some obstacles this season. Graduate student Morgan Keirstead, said an unfortunate injury affected the team.

“Having a senior captain, Kelly Kleekamp, get injured late in the season was hard, as she is an incredibly talented player and impactful leader,” Keirstead said.

However, Keirstead said the rest of the team was able to rally and keep moving forward.

“As a team, we have two options when something like that happens, crumble under the weight or rise up,” Keirstead said. “We choose to fight for the players who can’t.”

Ask said that the team feeling “like a family” is what helped the Vikings prepare to fight Winona State for the first NSIC Tournament game.

“I wouldn’t trade this group of women for anything in the world,” Keirstead said. “No matter what, we continue to fight while still staying classy, humble, and kind.”

The Vikings will face Bemidji State on Friday, Nov. 4 in Mankato, Minnesota.