Bulldogs Fall to Southwestern on Senior Day

Photo by Junior Silva
Article by Marcus Fernandes

McPherson - Kan. The McPherson Women's soccer team stepped on the field today for one more conference game. Hosting Southwestern College, the bulldogs had on their senior day an opportunity to start winning again. The ladies fought until the last second of the clock but fell one goal short.
 
The Bulldogs had a dominant first half this Saturday. Like some previous games, the McPherson team had a strong start and quickly found the net. The first goal came after a beautiful play by (Sr.) Vanessa Cisneros. The midfielder picked up a second ball on the Bulldog's defensive half and ran past three players. When facing the keeper, she passed the ball to (Sr.) Emma Singleton, who just pushed the ball to the net. After the early goal, the Mound Builders could not bounce back immediately. The Bulldogs kept their dominance being dangerous every time they had the ball. Although the dominance the bulldogs could not find a second goal. Unfortunately, they saw the Builders find an equalizer a couple of times they had a goal-scoring opportunity.
 
The late goal in the first half after 40 minutes of dominance hurt the Bulldogs in the game. The McPherson ladies came back for the second half creating shooting opportunities like the first period of the game. However, the equalizer boosted the Builder's confidence in the game. They did not allow the Bulldogs to control the game, and they were more dangerous offensively. The score remained equal until the 69th minute of the match when the Builders scored their second goal. The game was even, but the Mound Builders' precision in the final third made the difference. Nine minutes later the builders scored their third goal in the game, almost sealing the match's result.
  
Down to two goals, the Bulldogs did not give up on the game. The ladies bravely fought until the final whistle honoring their seniors. In the last 18 minutes, the Bulldogs tried a reaction. (Sr.) Vannessa Cisneros Picked up a second ball on the Bulldogs' defensive half. The midfielder lifted her head and slipped a beautiful ball in the air to (So.) Jasmyn Harvey-Thompson. The forward finished the ball on a volley to beat the Builder's goalkeeper.
 
The result may not be what the girls expected for the day, but the two beautiful goals and the effort on the field were a nice way to show appreciation for the seniors.  After the game, The Bulldogs honored their nine Seniors: Jordan Brunner, Hannah Mckay, Madison Hall, Emma Singleton, Peyton Morris, Isabel Medina, Vannessa Cisneros, Lexi Sandoval, and Ally Holloway.
 
After the game, Bulldog Head Coach Mark Olson expressed his thoughts about the game, "Thank you to the seniors for their contributions to the program. Today's game went pretty much how our season has gone. We create enough opportunities and get a lead but have not been able to finish games off."
 
Today's loss leaves the Bulldogs at 3-6-1 overall, and 2-6-1 in KCAC play. They will be back on the pitch on Saturday when they head to Oklahoma to play the Eagles. The kick-off will be at 2:00 p.m.