THUNDERSTORM ENDS WARRIOR CONTEST AT ST. FRANCIS IN 1-1 DRAW
Mother Nature wasn't willing to let either the Warriors (0-0-2) or St. Francis Fighting Saints (0-0-1) emerge a winner in Friday night's 1-1 draw during the Warriors' Illinois road trip.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
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1 | 0 | 1 |
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1 | 0 | 1 |
Team Stats
Rochester Christian (Mich.)
St. Francis (IL)
| Game Statistics | Rochester Christian (Mich.) | St. Francis (IL) |
|---|---|---|
| Shots (on goal) | 15 (3) | 15 (6) |
| Saves | 5 | 2 |
| Fouls | 8 | 11 |
| Corner Kicks | 2 | 1 |
| Offsides | 1 | 2 |
JOLIET, Ill. - Mother Nature wasn't willing to let either the Warriors (0-0-2) or St. Francis Fighting Saints (0-0-1) emerge a winner in Friday night's 1-1 draw during the Warriors' Illinois road trip. Senior Nicole Wrobel found the back of the net late into the first half to help the Warriors tie the game after going down early.
THE RUNDOWN
FIRST HALF
- It was a grind for the Warriors early on to find shot attempts, with St. Francis opting to double the ball in the middle of the pitch defensively. One of those pressures helped produce a goal for the Fighting Saints' Mia Perry, putting the Warriors down one
- For both teams, offensively it was a tough go. Neither team found a shot on goal following the Fighting Saints' goal. The Warriors' Mya Freeland and Aliana Perez produced shots that went just wide for RCU
- Luck changed for the Warriors with six minutes remaining in the second half. After a throw-in, junior Olivia Howes made a move between two defenders and crossed the ball on the ground to a sprinting Wrobel, who sailed the ball to the right of the keeper to tie the game
SECOND HALF
- The Warriors ramped up the pressure 15 minutes into the second half with a barrage of shots that went just wide. Goalkeeper Sabrina Kiryakoza had a big second half, recording five saves to prevent a Fighting Saints' lead
- With ten minutes remaining in play, Howes nearly scored her second goal of the week but was the shot was saved by St. Francis goalkeeper Krystal Rodriguez. Minutes later, Rodriguez narrowly saved a shot from freshman Sara Scoggins
- With a minute and a half to go, the Fighting Saints' Kelly Flores powered a deep free kick that was saved by Kiryakoza. With rain pouring down, officials were forced to stop the game following the shot attempt, with coaches agreeing to allow the game to end in a draw
STAT OF THE GAME
Kiryakoza's five saves are the most by a true freshman goalkeeper for RCU in their debut since 2019 - in a 3-0 loss to Grace (IN), goalkeeper Morgan Swanker recorded 17 saves.
UP NEXT
The Warriors will make their home debut on Tuesday, Aug. 20 against Holy Cross at 3 p.m. in Michigan Stars Sports Center.
Hussein Murray - RCU Athletic Communications
Image Courtesy of St. Francis Athletics