GRAND FORKS, N.D. --- The University of North Dakota women's soccer team met an opponent on Bronson Field for the first time in the 2009 season in front of 397 soccer fans. Everything was great for an exhibition game but the final score - the Sioux came up short in a 2-0 loss to the University of Mary.
The Sioux stuck around after the game for Meet-and-Beat the Sioux, a free clinic and autograph session hosted by the team for eighth graders and younger.
"It was a good game to get out of the way," head coach Kristen Gay said on the first game of the year. "There is definitely things we need to work on, but overall we were able to play everybody, which is good, and it was good preparation for next week."
The Sioux came out and grabbed an early corner kick by junior Becca Krynski (Rapid City, S.D.) which set up a shot by sophomore Veronika Zischka (Calgary, Alberta), but following the early pressure most of the first half was spent in the defensive end as Mary outshot the Sioux 6-3.
Mary grabbed the lead and eventual game-winning goal at the 16:24 mark of the first stanza when Alyssa Deutscher was able to beat Sioux goalkeeper Monica Stierman (Mahtomedi, Minn.). Mary's Sami Axtman kicked a shot off the crossbar which came back in front to Deutscher, who tried for the rebound goal only to be denied by Stierman - but a second rebound went right back to Deutscher that Stierman was not able to stop.
The 1-0 score would hold ending the first-half of action.
"I think the first half we were just trying to get in a rhythem and see who would work well with each other," Gay said. "Second half, midway through, we changed our formation a bit to give us more attacking numbers. That seemed to work so maybe we will go with that."
The Sioux turned it up a notch in the second half outshooting Mary 10-4, with most of the action this half in the Marauders end of play.
The Marauders scored a cushion goal at 51:09 when Jessica Curl was able to put a low kick past senior Lauren Sera on the far side of the net.
The Sioux had four shots on goal by sophomore Rachael Loomis (Fargo, N.D.)(2), senior Kirsten Zachman (Mahtomedi, Minn.) and senior Mandi Boehmer with all of them coming in the second half. The Marauders also had four shots on goal.
The Sioux return to action Friday when they host Northern Iowa to kick off regular season action at Bronson Field with a 2 p.m. scheduled start.
-GO SIOUX-
