WPSL Wrap Up: Week 2
This Week
Thursday
AFC Columbia 2-3 St Louis Scott Gallagher
AFC CoMo’s home opener saw the visitors go ahead in the thirty-seventh minute after a series of unfortunate events that Lemony Snicket would be proud of. There was a shot off the post, and a save by the Columbia goalkeeper before a final sliding shot deflected off her into the net by Sydney Etter. The equalizer came in the forty-third minute, directly from a booming goalkick, with Kailee Wisber outpacing the defense and blasting the ball in. SLSG re-established their lead in the sixtieth minute, when a searching left wing cross by Ashley Martinez was met by the head of Aubrey Mister. The visitors increased their lead only three minutes later when Hannah Larson dribbled inside the six yard box and slotted the ball firmly inside the far post. The final goal of the night came when Caroline Cole was left entirely unmarked in the center of the attacking box. Columbia had a golden opportunity to claim a point when a left wing free kick was headed just wide of the target in the ninetieth minute.
Friday
In a half characterized by near misses from Salvo on crosses into the City box, it was Kirsten Wetterstrom who applied the finishing touch on a Taylor Thomas cross, underneath Payton Cahill in the Salvo net in the 21st minute. That pattern solidified into the road side threatening almost exclusively on the break and Salvo peppering Hailee Fischer’s goal, albeit mostly into the bread basket of the City keeper. The equalizer finally arrived in the 87th minute, as Khyah Harper headed in a perfectly placed cross from Katelyn Beulke. Salvo were awarded a PK in stoppage time at the end of the game, but Meredith Haakenson placed the ball wide of the post.
Milwaukee Torrent 6-0 Midwest Muskrats
The Torrent started early. How early?
Hey @WPSL, did we set a record???
A goal 9 SECONDS in to the game!!! https://t.co/iXSjYkgqu6
— FC Milwaukee Torrent (@MKETORRENT) May 27, 2023
Torrent dominated possession, but it took until the twenty-fourth minute for the home side to add to their lead, Mia Haertle driving into the box before laying off the ball for Layla Kelbel to show a neat close-control before smashing the ball into the net in the twenty-fourth minute. Maletis made it 3-0 in the twenty-eighth minute, off the inside of the far post, assisted by Ryann Locante. Muskrats struggled to get possession in their attacking third and had zero shots on goal in the first half.
Torrent kept their pressure on, making it 4-0 in the forty-sixth minute. Kelbel driving into the penalty area and setting up Lauren Hernandez. Lainey Higgins took a free kick from deep in the fifty-fifth minute and Sophia Balistreri flicked it home from the top of the box, bouncing home for 5-0 with 21 players stood around expecting the ball to go wide. Kelbel grabbed her second in the 60th minute for 6-0, beginning and finishing a move with a spinning reception before blasting home.
FC Pride 2-0 Dayton Dutch Lions
Pride scored their first goal with a blast from the top of the box via the boot of Samantha King. The second goal came in a similar fashion as Addy Joiner controlled the ball and slotted home.
St Croix Soccer Club 3-0 Joy Athletic Club
The opening goal of this game was an utter freak, a long free kick by Elayna Murdzek from the half way line was pumped forward and skipped and bounced its way into the net. The second goal, in the fourty-fourth minute, was also unusual – Avery Murdzek scoring an Olimpico. St Croix’s third and final effort was more of a team effort, with a neat interchange in the center of the pitch followed by Elayna Murdzek dinking the ball over the Joy goalkeeper for her second goal.
Saturday
FC Spirit 0-2 Columbus Eagles
Eagles secured a road win through goals from Sidney Worthy and Katie Cox.
KC Courage 1-0 Lou Fusz Athletic
Courage stole all three points with a goal from Aya Saiki in the 90th minute, on the rebound after an initial shot was saved.
Sunday
Kansas City Scott Gallagher 3-1 Lou Fusz Athletic
KCSG opened the match fast, Reiss Wood side-footing the ball home in the 7th minute after a Greycen Erisman free kick from fully 30 yards out came rocketing back off the stanchion. Following a quick turnover in midfield, Ashlyn Nichols split the Scott Gallagher defense wide open in the thirteenth minute, for Logan Racine to equalize. After an equal few minutes, KCSG wrestled back the lead in stoppage time at the end of the first half after a corner was recycled by Calynn Harbert to Emma Thurston.
Kennedi Hooks eventually added a gloss to the score line, finishing off a Lilian Hollis assist in the eighty-third minute.
A back and forth barn-burner in Centerville. Ashley Gologin opened the scoring for the visitors, with Alaina Huber equalizing. Lacee Bethea put the Eagles on top again, tapping in after a shot was smothered by the Dayton keeper. Bethea scored again but the home side rallied again, Dara Russo making it 3-2. Victoria Kevdzija then made it 4-2, but two goals in the last two minutes by Kylee Simmons rescued a point for Dayton.
Tuesday
Rochester United 0-3 Joy Athletic Club
So far this season, Joy has won 3-0 (twice) and lost 3-0. In the latest 3-0 win, both sides had good chances in the opening 19 minutes but it was a mazy run by Brooke Quam which broke the deadlock, the Joy midfielder driving in from the left wing before chipping the ball in at the far post. Quam also set in motion a chance for Joy to double their lead, driving in from the right hand side before the ball was handled for a PK in the fifty-seventh minute. Unfortunately for Joy, the penalty kick struck the cross bar. The second goal came in the sixty-ninth minute, as a hopeful high ball was misfielded by the United defense and Dare Kroeten finished off the chance past a floundering last second goal line clearance attempt. Joy made it 3-0 (again!) with a blast from outside the area from Allison Wehrman in the eighty-sixth minute.
Coming Up
Tonight
KC Courage v Sunflower State FC – 6pm CT
Iowa Raptors v Quad Cities Rush – 7pm CT
Manitou FC v Minnesota Thunder – 7pm CT
Thursday
FC Pride v FC Spirit – 6:30pm ET
Friday
Manitou FC v Dakota Fusion FC – 6pm CT
MapleBrook Fury v Rochester United FC – 6:30pm CT
Sioux Falls City v Joy Athletic Club – 7pm CT
Salvo SC v St Croix SC – 7pm CT
Lou Fusz Athletic v St Louis Scott Gallagher – 7pm CT
Saturday
KC Courage v AFC Columbia – 2pm CT
Iowa Raptors v Midwest Muskrats – 3pm CT
Lou Fusz Athletic v Sunflower State FC – 3pm CT
Dayton Dutch Lions v Columbus Eagles – 4pm ET
FC Dayton v FC Pride – 7pm ET
Sunday
St Louis Scott Gallagher v Kansas City Scott Gallagher – 2pm CT
Quad Cities Rush v Milwaukee Torrent – 3pm CT
Dakota Fusion v MapleBrook Fury – 3pm CT
Manitou FC v Mankato United – 5pm CT
Columbus Eagles v FC Pride – 5pm CT
Minnesota Thunder v Salvo SC – 7pm CT
Tuesday
Midwest Muskrats v Chicago KICS – 7pm CT