ST. PAUL, Minn. — An early second-half goal made the difference for the host Tommies as St. Thomas claimed a 1-0 victory over South Dakota State on Thursday at South Field.
The opening 45 minutes featured just four combined shots between the two teams. The Jackrabbits and Tommies battled through rainy and chilly conditions as St. Thomas put together the lone shot on goal in the opening half of action.
SDSU nearly scored the match's first goal in the 59th minute. A free kick earned on a foul drawn by
Mia Bosch just outside the box nearly saw her score on a bouncing shot past the goalkeeper. The Tommies' Sophia Alvarez didn't let the ball get away from her as the tally remained scoreless.
St. Thomas took the lead in the 61st minute. A cross into the box found its way through the SDSU defense and the Tommies' Becca Smith swiftly booted a shot past the Jackrabbit keeper.
South Dakota State produced three more shots on goal, but couldn't find the back of the net. Alvarez closed the match out with a shutout behind four saves.
SDSU finished the match with an 8-7 advantage in shots and 4-2 edge in shots on goal. Only four Jackrabbits accounted for shots with
Adrianne Agbayanii putting three on goal.
St. Thomas earned its first victory over SDSU in its sixth all-time meeting. The Tommies improved to 4-8-1 on the season and 3-3-0 in Summit League play with the win. The Jackrabbits fell to 7-4-3 (2-2-2).
UP NEXT
South Dakota State closes out its two-match stretch on the road on Sunday. The Jackrabbits travel to Omaha to face the Mavericks at 1 p.m. at Caniglia Field.
-GoJacks.com-