Contact: Adam Poklop, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, 630-637-5302
Box Score
WHEATON, Ill. (Oct. 13, 2018) - Despite a solid team effort, the North Central women's soccer team fell 2-1 to the tenth-ranked Wheaton College Thunder (12-2 5-0 CCIW) Saturday night.
North Central's defense had its work cut out, facing a high caliber offense that leads the conference in shots. But the Cardinals stood strong, which allowed them to stay close the entire game. Wheaton recorded the game's first goal in the 35th minute, when Sara Bakke scored off a cross from teammate Aeva Graber. Although North Central held the Thunder to a single goal in the first half, Wheaton's 12-3 advantage in shots shows their ability to keep the ball in North Central's end.
Trouble loomed for the Cardinals in the 60th minute when a handball in the box resulted in a Wheaton penalty kick; however, Gretchen Frantz delivered a huge save and gave the Cardinals a needed momentum boost. But in the in the 82nd minute the Cardinals were whistled for a second handball in the box, this time leading to a Thunder goal. Two minutes later Sara Sheridan found Dana Plotke, who lifted a shot past Thunder goalkeeper Lauren Ketchum to cut the deficit to one with six minutes left. The closest the Cardinals came to knotting the game up was when Sheridan blasted a shot just over the net.
Frantz faced 25 shots — ten on net — and made eight saves. Plotke's goal was her first of the season.
North Central (5-8-1 1-4-1 CCIW) looks to regroup when they host the Elmhurst College Bluejays (9-2-1 4-1 CCIW) on Wednesday. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
