Sophomore defender Lissa Mizutani scored her first collegiate goal, but the St. Thomas women’s soccer team could not manage another, falling to Summit League rival South Dakota State 3-1 Friday at South Field.
The Tommies (6-4-3, 2-2-1 Summit) could not contain the Jackrabbits (8-0-5, 2-0-2 Summit), who dominated possession and shots throughout the majority of the game. The Tommies also fell to South Dakota State 3-1 last season.
Despite the identical scorelines, coach Sheila McGill saw immense growth in her squad compared to the last matchup.
“We were definitely more ‘in it’ this year and more competitive,” McGill said. “The level of the game was night and day from last year.”
While the Tommies were competitive, the Jackrabbits’ offense put immense pressure on the back line, firing off 10 shots on target and earning five corner kicks.
Despite the Tommies being backed into their own defensive third, sophomore goalkeeper Annie Bantner was able to keep the score level until the end of the first half, making seven saves.
“I knew this was going to be a shot-heavy game,” Bantner said. “I just had to go out and play my game.”
With 30 seconds until halftime, the Jackrabbits whipped a corner kick into a sea of purple and white jerseys in front of the Tommies’ net. After bouncing off several players, first-year midfielder Lauren Eckerle poked the ball past Bantner.
Going into halftime a goal down, McGill told her team “not to be afraid.”
“We have nothing to lose at that point; get after it,” McGill said. “Take our chances and we’ll get our opportunities.”
The Jackrabbits left hardly any room for opportunities, carrying over the pressure from the first half. Just under two minutes into the second half, senior forward Maya Hansen fired a shot into the top right corner to double South Dakota State’s lead.
This time, the Tommies answered in the 64th minute when Mizutani netted a free kick from nearly midfield, cutting the lead to one.
“The goal just gave us a little boost to keep pushing,” Mizutani said.
The Tommies’ attack came to life late in the second half, opening up the game. Despite creating several offensive chances, the Tommies could not convert the momentum into a second goal.
“For us, in particular, creating and finishing … that’s one of the spaces that we want to try and get stronger at,” McGill said.
In the 78th minute, Jackrabbit senior forward Abigail Kastens guided the ball around a Tommie defender to score on a virtually-open net, restoring the Jackrabbits’ two-goal lead.
After the Jackrabbits’ late third goal, the Tommies could not find an answer, allowing South Dakota State to remain undefeated this season.
“We knew ahead of time that this was going to be a tough competition,” Bantner said. “The result didn’t go our way, but I’m proud of how we played.”
The Tommies will take on South Dakota for their final home game of the season at 1 p.m. Sunday at South Field.
Derek Badger can be reached at badg@stthomas.edu.