The College of DuPage women’s soccer team failed to come back from a 2-1 deficit against a physical Black Hawk College-Moline, dropping the team’s record to 3-6-1. Throughout the match, the Chaparrals failed to find their offensive rhythm and struggled to build up their attack from the backline.
“[This game] was a tough one to lose,” head women’s soccer coach Matt Hanna said. “We fought the entire 90 minutes with a lot of energy and effort. At the end of the day, we have to identify when we are having a bad game and try to right the wrongs the best we can.”
Early in the first half, freshman Veronica Helma scored a tap-in goal off a rebounded ball saved by BHC’s goalkeeper, which came from a freekick attempt by sophomore Anna Odisho, to give the Chaparrals a 1-0 lead.
Despite scoring only 12 minutes into the first half, COD’s offense shut down due to unforced errors and struggling to put the ball in dangerous areas to allow them to score.
“We tried to stay level-headed and believe in each other,” Odisho said. “When the game is not going our way, it’s tough to not point the finger at each other, so I tried to tell them to stay together as one unit.”
With under 10 minutes left in the first half, BHC’s Johanna Fulcher dribbled past multiple COD players inside the penalty box and scored a goal to tie up the match 1-1.
Although the Chaparrals were tied 1-1 against the Braves going into the second half, COD struggled to find the back of the net and gain any sort of momentum. For the majority of the second half, the Chaparrals were in defensive mode due to BHC’s ability to maintain possession for a large amount of time.
Freshman goalkeeper Caitlin Yurkovich had a busy night with five saves and made a crucial two-handed leap save from a close shot from the Braves in the first half. Despite the loss, Yurkovich was still proud of the effort and determination of her defensive line.
“It was a rough game, very physical, and very back-and-forth,” said Yurkovich. “We were definitely defending a lot of the game, and our defense did a very good job at communicating and worked for 90 minutes.”
At the 48-minute mark, BHC’s Vivian Veto scored a goal off a cross from her teammate to defeat the Chaparrals 2-1.
The Chaparrals are now 3-6-1 this season and will take on Moraine Valley Community College with a record of 4-2-1 at 1 p.m. on Oct. 6 at COD’s Bjarne Ullsvik Stadium.
