NEW ULM — After overcoming a tough road in more ways than one last week, the New Ulm Eagles girls soccer team was happy to return home Tuesday with a much-needed win.
New Ulm snapped a three-game losing streak with a 6-2 win over the Tri-City United Titans in a Big South Conference girls soccer game Tuesday night at New Ulm High School.
Olivia Enter scored two goals to lead the Eagles (6-7, 2-3) to the win, while Kaylin Eikanger, Jessalyn Skogland, Keira Colden and Julia DeWitt each had one goal.
Kinsley Mach and Guadalupe Lopez got goals for the Titans (2-10-1, 0-5).
The game started slowly, trading shots with TCU, but New Ulm picked up steam near the end of the first half, scoring two first-half goals with 15 minutes left in the first half. The Eagles took the lead in the 28th minute when Skogland scored an unassisted long chip shot from nearly 25 yards over the head of TCU goalkeeper Joanna Zasoski. Colden scored another shot in the 36th minute to make it 2-0 for New Ulm.
New Ulm finished the first half outscored TCU in shots, 10 to 8, but ultimately ended the game with a 26 to 11 lead. The Eagles also played without starting midfielder Piper Kapolczynski, who missed the game due to an illness.
“The schedule has put a lot of strain on the team and we’ve had some injuries and illnesses.” “We’re a big part of it,” New Ulm head coach Jonathan Johnson said. “We started slow at the beginning, it wasn’t what I wanted to see, but then after the first half we started picking up the pace, we started to get going, we scored some goals and you could see the team picking up steam. The second half was a lot better than the first and the players seemed happy to be out there and that’s all that matters.”
The Eagles started with Betsy Joyce as the starting goalkeeper after starting goalie Chloe Sherrod injured her wrist during Saturday’s game at Mankato West, so Johnson switched the lineup and used another goalie, Ellie Dake, on defense for Tuesday’s game.
Tuesday’s win was even sweeter after the Eagles lost 5-2 at Waseca last Thursday, 8-2 at Mankato West on Saturday and 12-1 to Mankato East on Monday.
“Betsy doesn’t like playing goalie, but she works hard for the team and I love that about her.” Johnson said. “Chloe’s injury happened at Mankato West. She was handling a missile and her hand was bent backwards and she sprained it. So, she can obviously play on the field, but she can’t play on the night front.”
The Eagles took a 3-0 lead in the 45th minute when DeWitt saved a deflected shot by Grace Barry, then shortly after in the 51st minute, Enter scored her first goal of the night with an assist from DeWitt to make the score 4-0.
The Titans opened the scoring in the 53rd minute when Mack scored inside the box, and the Eagles responded with another goal in the 60th minute by Enter after a great pass from Amelia Hinkle.
Lopez headed in a TCU corner kick from Mack in the 65th minute to make the score 5-2, before New Ulm scored again in the 78th minute on a goal from Eicanger.
“Olivia scored two goals tonight. She’s our team’s leading scorer so far this year and has a lot of support.” Johnson said. “Keirin was really supporting her with crosses and stuff. … The whole second half, she was putting together more than one pass and stuff like that. It all started to come together.”
New Ulm will play another conference game at St. Peter on Thursday night before traveling to Hutchinson for a non-conference game on Saturday at 3 p.m.
Staff photo by Travis Rosenau New Ulm Eagles senior Kaylin Eikanger (5) passes the ball during a non-conference girls soccer game against Tri-City United on Tuesday night at New Ulm High School.
Staff photo by Travis Rosenau New Ulm Eagles freshman Amelia Hinkle carries the ball down the field while being chased by Tri-City United’s Ella Krockac during a non-conference girls soccer game at New Ulm High School on Tuesday night.
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