Jimmies Slip Past Lady Warriors in Season Opener

JAMESTOWN, N.D. – Midland University’s women’s soccer team kicked off its 2020 campaign with a Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) road contest at University of Jamestown on Thursday evening. The Warriors would fall by a score of 2-1 as Jamestown scored a pair of second-half goals to spoil the season opener.
The first half featured physical play as both teams got a feel for the pace of play. Senior goalkeeper Rachel Thigpen would notch her first save of the season just three minutes into the contest and again at the nine-minute mark. The Warriors got their offense firing soon after as junior Bailey Locano tested the opposing keeper with a pair of shots. Another save by the Jimmies keeper looked to stagger Midland’s offensive pressure. The relief would be short-lived as moments later Locano found the back of the net to give the Warriors a 1-0 edge in the 25th minute.
Defense ruled the remainder of the opening half as the 1-0 lead would hold heading into intermission. Midland outshot Jamestown 7-5 in the first half while both teams sent three shots on goal.
The Warriors came out of the break firing as junior Brittany Llanes had an attempt saved by the keeper in the 47th minute of play. Midland attempted to capitalize on a pair of corner kicks to no avail as a foul against the Warriors in the 56th minute gave the Jimmies possession. Jamestown would capitalize on the moment as a UJ’s Kamryn Fiscus split the Midland defenders to tie things up 1-1 in the 60th minute.
Midland would match the Jimmies shot-for-shot over the next ten minutes, but corner kicks would be the difference maker in favor of Jamestown. An advantageous field position off a corner resulted in the go-ahead goal in the 79th minute by Jamestown’s Claire Struble. The lead proved to be too much to overcome as the final whistle blew and Jamestown recorded the 2-1 victory.
“The girls played well for the opening 60 minutes and then the absence of several key players started to show,” said head coach Greg Jarosik after the contest. “Missing six players to begin the year was too big of a task to overcome today.”
Jamestown outshot Midland 16-12 including a 10-8 advantage in shots on goal. The Jimmies took seven corner kicks compared to four for the Warriors. Llanes led Midland with four shots including three on goal. Locano followed with three shots (two on goal). Thigpen recorded eight saves.
“We had the opportunity to put the game away several times but couldn’t capitalize,” Jarosik added. “We will learn from this and be ready to bounce back right away tomorrow.”
Midland (0-1, 0-1 GPAC) has a quick turnaround as the team takes on GPAC foe Presentation College (0-2-1, 0-0-1 GPAC) tomorrow afternoon in Aberdeen, South Dakota. First kick between the Warriors and Saints is slated for 1:00 p.m.