ST. PAUL, Minn. (Sept. 17, 2022) – The Loras College women's soccer team played yet another intense game on Saturday afternoon, overtaking St. Catherine University 4-3 on the road for the Duhawks' second consecutive win in one-score games.
 
The Duhawks (4-0-2) and Wildcats (4-2-0) totaled seven goals it the match, but neither team managed to score twice in a row as Loras started and finished the scoring in the back-and-forth affair. Despite seven goals in the contest, scoring chances were hard to come by as the two sides combined for just 20 shots overall while 15 of them were on goal.
 
In the first five minutes of the game, the Duhawks wasted no time in getting things started as junior midfielder Bella Talbot cashed in for the first goal of the game thanks to an assist from senior forward Ryleigh O'Brien. That was nearly the only offense for the first half, but a late goal from St. Catherine's Briana Henaman knotted the score in the 41^st minute.
 
That late equalizer didn't hold up for long as O'Brien capitalized on a corner kick pass from senior midfielder Payton McDonnell in the 50^th minute, sending the Duhawks out in front 2-1.
 
St. Catherine tied the game back up 10 minutes later, but again that tie didn't last as McDonnell notched her second assist of the game, this time on a long pass into the box for senior forward Abby Eriksen. Eriksen finished the job with a powerful close-range shot to again push the Duhawks to a narrow lead.
 
Offense didn't let up for either team as the Wildcats evened the score for the third time just a couple minutes later in the 79^th minute. Finally, Loras senior forward Julia Neary decided enough was enough as she struck for an unassisted goal in the 80^th minute to put a cap on another close contest for the Duhawks.
 
Neary's game-winning goal was her third of the season and the first since she scored a pair in Loras' 6-1 win over St. Norbert College on opening day.
 
Loras hopes to keep the hot streak going into next week as the Duhawks will travel to Appleton, Wis. to take on Lawrence University on Tuesday, Sept. 20, at 5 P.M.