Despite peppering the opposing net with shots, the Seattle University women’s soccer team could not recover from giving up an early goal, as South Dakota State held on for a 1-0 victory Thursday night at Fishback Soccer Park.
Just 49 seconds into the match, South Dakota State (11-3-0) picked up the only goal it needed when Vanessa Paswaters fed the ball to Kelsey Ferguson. Ferguson’s shot deflected off Seattle goalie Madison Goverde (Snohomish, Wash.) and trickled into the net for Ferguson’s fifth goal of the season.
The Seattle University offense immediately went to work pressuring the Jackrabbit defense, but the Redhawks could not catch a break. In the 18th minute, Kara Kuttler’s (Redmond, Wash.) shot hit the post and bounced away. Kuttler continued to make life difficult for the home team with back-to-back shots on goal in the 35th minute, but both were turned away by South Dakota State goalie Nicole Lograsso.
The pressure from Seattle University continued into the second half, as Maryann Boddy (Bellevue, Wash.) took a shot in the 67th minute that was blocked, followed up right away with an attempt from Kahlyn Keilty-Lucas (Minneapolis, Minn.) that Lograsso turned away. Later in the second half, in the span of about 44 seconds, shots by Megan Fogarty (San Diego, Calif.) and Kassandra Riozzi (Marysville, Wash.) were kept out of the net by Lograsso.
Boddy took another attempt with 15 minutes remaining in the half, but Lograsso was again up to the task, making another save. Lograsso made her ninth and final save of the night on a last-second shot by Riozzi, ending Seattle’s five-match unbeaten streak in the process. Goverde made one save in the match for the Redhawks.
Seattle University outshot South Dakota State, 16-6, including 8-1 in the second half. Keilty-Lucas finished with three shots on goal, with Kuttler and Riozzi each notching two shots on goal. It was the seventh consecutive shutout for South Dakota State, with Lograsso picking up the 17th shutout of her career.
Seattle University (7-3-3) will look to bounce back Saturday afternoon as the team travels to Fargo, N.D., to face North Dakota State beginning at 12 noon local time. After a trip to Utah next weekend, the Redhawks return home to face Cal State Bakersfield on Halloween, Friday, Oct. 31, beginning at 2 p.m. at Championship Field.