Winona State lost 3-2 to Minnesota Duluth on Sunday afternoon in Winona, in a match where the lead changed hands several times before the Bulldogs held on late.
The Warriors scored in the opening minute. After goalkeeper Ely Halverson saved an initial shot, Kyleigh Jannisch finished the rebound 53 seconds into the match for a 1-0 lead.
Minnesota Duluth tied the match at 12:41, when Gwendolyn Lilly scored from an assist by Marissa VanDeHei. Both teams created chances during the rest of the first half, but the score remained 1-1 at halftime.
Winona State went back in front at 53:34 on a Minnesota Duluth own goal. The lead lasted about four minutes before Nora Helvig tied it again, assisted by Kaitlyn Beavers, and Kailey Tomzak scored at 68:06 to put the Bulldogs ahead 3-2 for the first time.
The Warriors kept pressing for a tying goal, including shots on goal from McKayla Paukner at 70:51 and Jacey Sturek at 82:58, but could not find another score. Minnesota Duluth finished with a 17-8 advantage in shots and a 7-1 advantage in corner kicks.
Before the match, Winona State honored seniors Adrianna Bixby, Annika Groendal and Chloe Turner. The loss left the Warriors at 1-12-1 overall and 1-10-1 in the NSIC, while Minnesota Duluth improved to 8-5-2 overall and 7-4-1 in conference play. Winona State still leads the all-time series 22-13-4 and plays next at Sioux Falls on Friday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m.
