Jackie Vanderkolk scored the go-ahead goal for Alverno College with 12 minutes to play and the Lakeland College women's soccer team fell by a 2-1 score Wednesday afternoon in a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference match.
Vanderkolk broke a tie game with her second goal of the match, and Alverno won a matchup of two teams looking for their first conference wins this season. The Inferno improved to 2-10-1 overall and 1-5 in conference play, while the Muskies dropped to 2-12-1 overall and 0-6 in the NACC.
Lakeland once again played with a depleted roster that has been seriously hampered by injuries and sickness. With starting goalkeeper
Jessica Carter (
Jr.-Schaumburg, Ill.) the latest to be out, senior
Ali Thompson (
Plymouth, Wis.) got her first start of the season in goal and played well, making five saves.
The two teams also were playing on a damp field dampened by two straight days of rain in the Sheboygan area. A light rain also fell through the entire first half, and players regularly had to adjust to bounces of the ball dictated by wet spots on the field.
The teams both scored early in the first half just over three minutes apart. Alverno was on the offensive attack early, and Vanderkolk and Briguite Martinez worked a give-and-go play with Vanderkolk converting for a 1-0 lead 10:40 into the match.
The Muskies bounced back just 3:15 later.
Kelly Jens (
Jr.-Sheboygan Falls, Wis.) centered the ball in front of the goal to
Krystina Cook (
Sr.-Des Plaines, Ill.), who found the back of the net for her third goal of the season to tie the score. The score would remain that way until Vanderkolk scored her second goal at 78:00 after a free kick by Andrea Diaz.
Alverno outshot Lakeland 12-5 for the match and posted a 7-2 advantage in shots on goal. Cook finished with three shots for the Muskies, two on goal, while
Tiffany Fischer (
Fr.-Sheboygan Falls, Wis.) and
Alexa Piskule (
So.-Crystal Lake, Ill.) also added single shot attempts.
Lakeland is home again on Saturday when it hosts Benedictine (Ill.) University at 1 p.m. It will be Senior Day for the Muskies, with seniors Cook, Thompson,
Stephanie Rock (
Niagara, Wis.) and
Brooke Schaller (
Howards Grove, Wis.) all honored at halftime of their match.