Lindsborg, Kan. - The McPherson Women's Soccer team headed to Bethany College for their seventh KCAC game of the season, looking to get on a winning streak.
The Bulldogs had a slow start in the game. The Swedes succeeded in taking advantage of it to score an early goal in the game. At the 9th minute Bulldog goal keeper, Lauren Kunda came off her line to clear a ball. The clearance deflected off a Bethany attacker and went back toward the goal. Kunda raced back to try and collect the ball, but the Swedes got to the ball first and pushed it into the back of the net.
Although the early goal, the Swedes kept exerting their dominance in the game. The Bulldogs kept fighting to get back in the game, but they could not be on the ball for very long. The Bulldogs created a few chances in the game, but the Swedes were always closer to the second goal.
The second half was not much different than the first 45 minutes. The Swedes started pressuring the bulldogs for a second goal. The Bulldogs resisted for twenty minutes. The scenario got worse when the Swedes had a PK awarded on a hand ball called inside the 18 yard box. The Bulldog's defense tried to clear the ball, and the referee called a handball. The Swedes' forward took the shot on the right side, and Kunda could not stop the attempt. The second goal took away the energy the Bulldogs still had left in the game. The Swedes kept their team-up, looking for one more goal, while the bulldogs tried to finish the match strongly. Although the effort, the score remained 2-0 until the end of the game.
After the game, Bulldog head coach Mark Olson expressed his feelings about the game saying, "I'm proud of these players tonight. Having three subs and missing five starters is tough for anyone. We did see players step up and gain some experience that will give us options going forward."
The defeat leaves the Bulldogs at 3-4-1 overall and 2-4-1 in the KCAC. They will be back on the pitch this Wednesday when they travel to Wichita. The game against Friend University kicks off at 8 p.m.
