Nov. 12, 2008

Midfielders Megan Church (So., White Bear Lake, Minn.) and Jen Terry (Sr., Shoreview, Minn. Totino-Grace HS) have been named to 2008 All-WIAC soccer teams.

Church was named to the All-WIAC team and Terry was named to the All-Sportsmanship team.

Church, 5-4, finished the season with six goals and 13 points. She led the Falcons with two game-winning goals. She registered 54 shots during the year with 18 shots on goal. She played in all 18 games and started 16 times. She has played 37 career games and has seven goals and 16 points.

"Megan had a break out sophomore season," said Falcon Coach Sean McKuras. She scored two game winning goals and was very versatile in our midfield. Megan scored her first career hat trick against UW-Superior. I am very excited for what her junior season will bring."

Terry, 5-1, played in 16 games and started 11 times. She had nine shots and four were on goal. She has played in 69 career games and has four goals and 11 points.

"Jen has been a four-year player and senior captain," said McKuras. "She always has a positive outlook and keeps the team on even ground. Jen always has the team's best interest in mind. She has set a great example for all of our players."

2008 Schedule

2008 Falcon Statistics

WIAC Soccer Page

Falcons Eliminated From WIAC Tourney
After 2-0 Loss at Whitewater

Nov. 1, 2008

The Falcons lost 2-0 at UW-Whitewater in the first round of the WIAC tournament.

UWW scored a goal in each half to top RF for the second time this season. The previous match, also played in Whitewater, was a 1-0 decision on Sept. 27.

Stephanie DesJardins scored her second goal of the season 13:56 into the game to give the Warhawks the early lead. DesJardins struck the ball from 30 yards out in the center of the pitch. The perfectly placed shot sailed just over the outstretched fingertips of Falcon goalkeeper Emily Stieler.

Later in the first half the Falcons looked as if they had tied the game when senior Kelly Piersak knocked a free kick toward the net and freshman Eryn Lansverk headed the ball home. The play was called offside, however, denying the Falcons a goal and a tie game.

The Falcons came out in the second half with extra energy. RF led 6-4 in shots for the second half, but the Warhawks were able to add a second goal at 52:57. Mary Donohoo scored her 14th goal of the season on the right side of the net on a nice combination play for UWW.

“Kelly Piersak had a great game for us today, both on offense and defense,” said Falcon Head Coach Sean McKuras. “We played a nice game, but to Whitewater’s credit, they found a way to get to the back of the net.”

McKuras also spoke of the great leadership provided this year by the seniors on the team. “We are going to miss our seniors next year as well as goalkeeper Emily Stieler who is graduating,” said McKuras. “They have done a great job for River Falls.”

Stieler had six saves for the match and Kelly Piersak had two shots on goal for the Falcons. UWW led RF for the game in shots, 12-8, corner kicks, 6-4, and fouls, 17-6. The Falcons end the season 5-13 overall.

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2008 Schedule

Falcons Lose Regular Season Finale in Closing Minutes

Oct. 28, 2008

On a cool, windy Tuesday afternoon in Northfield, Minn., the Falcon soccer team lost 2-1 to Carleton College in heartbreaking fashion.

CC scored two goals in the second half to top the Falcons, including the game winner with just under three minutes to play.

Eryn Lansverk, freshman, led off the scoring 9:01 into the game. She got the ball coming up the left side of the field on a pass from junior Kayla Scott. Lansverk created space for herself by beating her defender toward the center of the field and scored on a shot from inside the left corner of the box. Lansverk leads RF with seven goals on the season.

CC played patient soccer and showcased precision passing. The majority of the first half was spent inside the RF zone as the Falcons protected the lead. The Knights controlled the game tempo and put offensive pressure on the Falcons in the first half by winning a majority of the 50-50’s and exercising great ball control.

RF opened up its attack in the second half and there was much more back and forth play than the first 45 minutes. CC’s Nicky Bloom tied the score at 49:21 with an impressive header goal off of a high, lofted pass from Jill Merkle into the RF box.

Both teams played aggressive throughout the second half, each totaling nine fouls total for the match. With approximately nine minutes remaining in the game, RF freshman Kelsey Kizlik struck a hard shot from the top of the box that narrowly missed the goal and bounced off the top crossbar. Lansverk got possession of the long rebound and shot just over the crossbar.

That would be the best opportunity the Falcons would have before CC’s Nicole Tomita got a long pass from Bloom, beat two Falcon defenders with excellent dribbling, and placed the game winner in the top left corner of the goal at 87:04.

The Falcons were outshot 21-6 for the game and trailed 10-1 in corner kicks. RF senior Amy Piersak recorded two shots on goal and junior goalkeeper Emily Stieler tallied 12 saves for the match.

The regular season ends for the Falcons with an overall record of 5-12, 3-5 in the WIAC. CC is tied for first in the MIAC this season and has a 26-5-1 home record over the past three years.  RF now trails in the all-time series with CC, 6-5-1.

The Falcons will play next on Saturday when they travel to UW-Whitewater for the opening round of the WIAC tournament.

Head Coach Sean McKuras noted that the quality of opponents the Falcons have faced this year have prepared them well for the playoffs. “We played a lot of tough games against strong teams this year,” he said. RF lost a tightly contested match at UWW 1-0 on Sept. 27 in the teams’ only previous meeting this season.

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2008 Schedule

Falcons Lose 3-0 WIAC Match at UWSP

Oct. 25, 2008

The Falcon soccer team lost 3-0 in its final WIAC regular season match at UW-Stevens Point on Saturday.

UWSP senior Amanda Prawat scored her team-leading 24 th goal of the season only 4:05 into the game. That was to be the only goal of the first half, however, as RF held the first ranked team in the NCAA Div. III Central Region to only eight shots on goal for the half.

In the second half the Pointers fired 17 shots and added a pair of goals to put the game out of reach. Junior Jackie Spees scored at 48:04 and senior Kaylee Weise scored at 72:24.

The Falcons were outshot 25-5 for the game but led 4-3 in corner kicks. RF junior Kayla Scott recorded a shot on goal and freshman goalkeeper Rachel Thompson tallied nine saves for the match.

The Falcons finish the WIAC season 3-5. RF, 5-11 overall, will finish the regular season on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. when they travel to Carleton College.

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2008 Schedule

Falcons Lose, 1-0, at Simpson

Oct. 22, 2008

The Falcon soccer team lost 1-0 to Simpson College on a cool, rainy Wednesday afternoon in Indianola, Iowa. This was the first match between the two schools.

RF started five freshmen and held the game scoreless through the first half. Falcon freshman goalkeeper Rachel Thompson played the first 45 minutes and made three saves. 

Junior Emily Stieler took over in goal for the Falcons in the second half. SC scored the only goal of the game at 61:50. Katherine Bird recorded the goal off of a goalkeeper turnover.

Freshman Erin Genin, sophomore Megan Church, junior Jessi Larson, and senior Amy Piersak each had a shot on goal for the game. SC outpaced RF in shots 8-6 and saves 4-3. Each team had three corner kicks in the game.

The Falcons, now 5-10 overall and 3-4 in the WIAC will wrap up WIAC play on Saturday when they travel to UW-Stevens Point (13-3, 7-0 WIAC) for a match that starts at 3 p.m. UWSP has already clinched the 2008 WIAC Championship.

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2008 Schedule

Oct. 21, 2008

Falcon soccer player Megan Church has been named the WIAC soccer Offensive Player of the Week according to league Sports Information Director, Matt Stanek.

Church led the Falcons to a pair of WIAC wins with four goals on the week. On Wednesday in a 4-0 win against UW-Superior, Church dominated the match and scored the first three goals of the match to notch her first career hat trick. In a 2-1 win against UW-Platteville on Saturday she scored the game-tying goal in the 79th minute to spark a late comeback win for the Falcons. Church, 5-4, is tied for the team lead with six goals on the season and leads the team with two game winners.

The Falcons, 5-9 overall and 3-4 in the WIAC, play at Simpson College on Wednesday and at UW-Stevens Point on Saturday.

Falcons Defeat Pioneers 2-1 at Ramer Field

Oct. 18, 2008

The Falcons extended their record to 5-9-0 with a 3-4-0 record in the WIAC after defeating the UW-Platteville Pioneers 2-1 at Ramer Field on Saturday afternoon.

Amy Piersak recorded her second goal of the season, in the 81st minute, which proved to be the game winner, off a free kick.

At 55:54, Allie Metcalfe scored the only Pioneer goal of the game to UWP the 1-0 lead. The assist came from Sarah Miller. The goal was Metcalfe’s sixth of the season.

Megan Church scored her sixth goal of the season to tie the score at 79:02. The assist came from Eryn Lansverk. The score would remain tied up until Piersak’s unassisted free kick goal at 81:29.

Falcon goalkeeper Rachel Thompson played all 90 minutes of the game. Thompson had five saves and one goal allowed. Hannah Krier of the Pioneers also played 90 minutes in goal, allowing two goals and making five saves.

Church had three shots in the game and two were on goal. Kelly Piersak and Christa Ayers each recorded one shot. Lansverk had three shots, two on goal and the assist to Church. Amy Piersak recorded three shots, two on goal and the game winner. This totaled 11 shots, seven on goal.

The Falcons now have a 13-1-2 all-time record against the Pioneers.

UWRF will play at Simpson College on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.

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2008 Schedule

Church's Hat Trick Leads Falcons to 4-0 Victory

Oct. 15, 2008

The Falcon soccer team defeated UW-Superior 4-0 in a WIAC match at Ramer Field on a windy Wednesday evening.

Megan Church, sophomore, scored her first career hat trick and Kelsey Kizlik, freshman, added her second goal of the season in the win. The RF defense, anchored by junior Jessi Larson, held UWS to zero shots for the game.

Church's hat trick is the first by a RF player since Ashley Peterson recorded one against St. Catherine on Sept. 23, 2006.

The offense began agressive and continued with pressure throughout the match. Less than one minute into the game, RF had one shot bounce off the goalie and another shot hit the post.

Church put the Falcons on the scoreboard in the first half with a goal at 15:06. Senior Amy Piersak led the ball ahead for Church who struck a solid shot from just outside the box in the middle of the field for the goal.

Goalie Anna Olsen kept UWS in the match with her impressive saves; however, at 77:05 freshman Eryn Lansverk played a touch pass to Church who scored her second goal. The hat trick was completed at 83:45 when Church broke out on a long run down the side of the field and crossed it past the goalie for the score.

Kayla Scott, freshman, assisted Kizlik on the last goal of the game at 85:01. It was Scott's first assist on the season.

RF goalkeepers Emily Stieler, junior, and Rachel Thompson, freshman, each played a half. They did not need to handle much of the load as the defense in front of them dominated the game. Larson and the rest of the Falcon defense did not allow a single shot in the match and controled a majority of the fifty-fifty balls.

RF led UWS in corner kicks, 16-1, and shots, 45-0, for the game.

“Larson played phenomenal on defense today,” said Falcon Head Coach Sean McKuras. "Our system is starting to come through for us with goals and assists coming from a lot of our young players."

The Falcons, 4-9 overall and 2-4 in the WIAC, will host
UW-Platteville at Ramer field on Saturday at 1 p.m.

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2008 Schedule

Rasmussen Scores Twice to Help
Falcons to 3-0 Win at UWO

Oct. 11, 2008

The Falcon soccer team won 3-0 in a WIAC match at UW-Oshkosh on Saturday afternoon.

RF junior Megan Rasmussen scored her first two goals of the season, freshman Erin Genin had two assists, and freshman Eryn Lansverk had a goal and an assist in the game. It was the first WIAC win for the Falcons this season.

Rasmussen started the scoring with a goal at 15:38. Genin and Lansverk assisted on the play. Genin made a strong throw-in and Lansverk flicked it over to Rasmussen who headed it home for the goal.

Rasmussen got her second goal of the game off a scramble in front of the net at 73:57 to extend the RF lead. Genin tallied her second assist of the game on the play.

Junior Jessi Larson assisted Lansverk for the final goal of the game at 82:12. It was Lansverk's team-leading sixth goal of the season.

Junior goalkeeper Emily Stieler had six saves and earned her second shutout of the season. It was her 11 th career shutout.

The defense was stout for the Falcons all game. UWO outpaced RF in corner kicks, 11-4, and outshot RF, 19-11, for the game. Despite the statistical advantages, the RF defense kept UWO scorelss with constant pressure and good ball handling through the middle. "The entire defense had a great day today," said Falcon Coach Sean McKuras.

Seniors Kelly and Amy Piersak, sophomore Anna Gutknecht, and Larson anchored the defense for RF and provided great effort and leadership. Freshman Kelsey Kizlik continued her impressive first season with precision passing and determined ball control. "It was a great team effort," said McKuras. "There wasn't a single person that played poorly today."

"This team showed how mentally tough it is after a tough road loss last week, to come back and play so well on the road today," said McKuras. "We made the most of our opportunities and kept fighting through the entire game."

The Falcons, 3-9 overall and 1-4 in the WIAC, will continue conference action with two home matches at Ramer Field this week. RF hosts UW-Superior on Wednesday at 4 p.m. and UW-Platteville on Saturday at 1 p.m.

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2008 Schedule

Falcons Drop 7-0 Decision at IWU

Oct. 4, 2008

The Falcon soccer team lost a non-conference match to Illinois Wesleyan, 7-0, in Bloomington, Ill., on Saturday afternoon.

IW scored three goals in the first half and four in the second to hand RF its ninth loss of the season. The first IW goal came 19 minutes into the game and RF was not able to answer. IW improved its record to 7-4 while RF fell to 2-9.

RF trailed IW in corner kicks, 8-3, and was outshot, 24-7, for the game. Falcon junior  goalie Emily Stieler had seven saves for the Falcons while freshman Eryn Lansverk led the team with four shots on goal.

The Falcons will return to WIAC action on Saturday at 2 p.m. when the travel to UW-Oshkosh. RF leads the all-time series between the schools 9-7-1.

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2008 Schedule

Falcons Lose WIAC Match, 1-0, at Whitewater

Sept. 27, 2008

The Falcon soccer team lost a close 1-0 decision in a WIAC match at UW-Whitewater on Saturday afternoon.

The game's only goal came in the 37th minute when UWW's Mary Donohoo scored her 15th goal of the year.

UWW had a 7-2 advantage in shots in the first half, but the Falcons reversed that in the last 45 minutes and held a 5-1 advantage in shots. UWW had an 11-3 advantage in corners. UWRF was called for just two fouls in the match while the Warhawks had 11 fouls called against them.

UWRF goalie, Emily Stieler, had three first half saves and finished with four for the game. UWW goalie, Mary Scanlin had three saves in each half for a total of six.

UWRF sisters Amy and Kelly Piersake led the team with two shots on goal apiece. Eryn Lansverk and Kelsey Kizlik had one shot on goal each.

The Warhawk win snaps a three-game unbeaten streak for the Falcons against UWW. The two teams tied, 1-1, in River Falls in 2007; the Falcons took a 2-1 at UWW on 2006 and a 2-1 win at home in 2005. The last Whitewater win was a 2-1 decision at UWW in 2004. The all-time series is now tied, 8-8-2.

The Falcons, 2-8 overall and 0-4 in the WIAC, will next play at Illinois Wesleyan at 2:30 p.m., on Saturday.

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2008 Schedule

Falcons Win 7-0 At Ramer Field

Sept. 24, 2008

The Falcon soccer team beat Northwestern College 7-0 at Ramer Field on Wednesday evening. The offensive explosion was last equaled when RF scored seven goals against St. Catherine on Sept. 23, 2006.

It was a big day of firsts for the Falcons. Sophomore Tracey Boyle, freshman Kelsey Kizlik, and freshman Erin Genin each scored their first goal as a Falcon. Senior Amy Piersak scored her first goal of the season, while freshman Eryn Lansverk netted two goals for the first multi-goal game of the season for RF.

Kizlik started the scoring in the 12th minute. She was assisted by sophomore Megan Church and senior Kelly Piersak. The second goal of the game was the also the second goal of the season for sophomore Megan Church. Boyle provided the assist for the play. To end the first half scoring, Lansverk got the first of her two goals, with the assist from junior Megan Rasmussen.

The Falcons continued their attack in the second half with a goal off a corner kick. Anna Gutknecht, sophomore, sent a beautiful ball accross the zone to the far post where Genin sent it in for her first career goal. Lansverk then scored her team-leading fifth goal of the season, and second of the game, off of another assist from Rasmussen. After Boyle drew a foul outside of Northwestern's zone, Amy Piersak set up and drove a shot past the goalkeeper. Boyle then finished the scoring for the evening in the 83rd minute, assisted by Amy Piersak.

The Falcons dominated the game from the start and spent the majority of the game pressuring Northwestern's defense. RF led the game in shots 40-3 and corner kicks 11-0. Junior Emily Stieler kept goal for the Falcons in the first half, and freshman Rachel Thompson played the second half. They combined for the shutout, stopping three shots.

"We really put together a nice game today," said Head Coach Sean Mc Kuras. "We have been getting nice opportunites in recent games but not finishing. Today we were able to finish the plays."

The Falcons, 2-7 overall, will next play at Whitewater on Sept. 27 at 1:30 p.m.

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2008 Schedule

Falcons Lose 2-1 On Last Minute Goal

Sept. 17, 2008

The Falcon soccer team lost to La Crosse 2-1 at Ramer Field Saturday afternoon. LC scored the game winner with only 40 seconds left in the match.

Junior goalie Emily Stieler got the Falcons off to a fast start with a pair of tough saves in the first minutes of the game. The first goal of the game came with 30:04 to play in the first half when freshman Kelsey Kizlik got a ball under control in the center and sent a beautiful pass up for fellow freshman Eryn Lansverk. Lansverk made a nice move and knocked it home to give RF the lead. With 13 minutes remaining in the first half, RF dodged a bullet when a strong shot from LC glance off the top post. But the RF lead would not last the half as LC scored on a corner kick with 11:30 remaining.

The game remained tight throughout the second half. The Falcons came out sharp with crisp passing and team play. Sophomore Anna Gutknecht had a pair of good runs up the left side to keep pressure on LC early. With 15:30 left, Stieler made a tremendous save to keep the score tied. She came out towards the LC forward, attacked the action, and smothered the LC offensive threat. After a number of offensive chances for RF in the final ten minutes, LC reversed the field and found the net with just 40 seconds left in the game to take the lead. The shot by LC was placed perfectly between the outstretched fingertips of Stieler and the top post for the win.

Junior Jessi Larson, Gutknecht, and senior Amy Piersak all provided strong defensive presence throughout the game. They combined to clear a number of balls out of the RF zone and frustrate LC forwards. The sure-footed Kizlik continued her impressive play this year by winning balls in the middle and making precision passes. Freshman Erin Genin logged her first minutes of the season after recovering from an injury. Stieler finished with seven saves for the Falcons.

RF outshot LC 13-12 for the game and each team had four corner kicks. “Giving up a goal in the 90th minute is always tough, but I am really proud of how my team played today” said Head Coach Sean Mc Kuras.

RF continues to lead the all-time series between the teams,
11-7-1.

The Falcons, 1-7 overall and 0-3 in WIAC play, will next host Northwestern at 4 p.m. on Wednesday at Ramer Field.

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2008 Schedule

Soccer Team Loses WIAC Match at Stout

Sept. 17, 2008

Under the lights of Nelson Field in Menomonie, Wis., the Falcon soccer team lost to Stout 3-0 in a WIAC matchup.

RF spent the majority of the first half in the Stout zone, but could not get the bounce they needed to find the net. Stout tallied just two shots on goal in the first half, but scored with one of them after a RF defensive slip.

The second half started with an early Stout goal. A low corner kick bounced around in the zone and into the RF net. The third goal was a penalty kick for Stout that just got over the hands of RF freshman keeper Rachel Thompson. Thompson, who subbed in 37 minutes into the game, made three saves in her first WIAC appearance.

RF freshman Kelsey Kizlik continued her strong play this week for the Falcons holding possession and passing the ball well. Sophomore Anna Gutknect placed a number of corner kicks in the zone for RF offensive chances and provided aggressive defensive play that continued to the final buzzer.

RF outshot Stout 15-7 and also held a 12-4 corner kick advantage for the game.Megan Church led the Falcons with four shots and Amy Piersak added three.

“We seem to play well once we are down,” said Head Coach Sean McKuras. “We need to improve our level of intensity from the very first touch of the first half.”

With the win Stout takes the lead in the all-time series between the teams, 6-5-3.

The Falcons, 1-6 overall and 0-2 in WIAC play, will next host La Crosse at 2 p.m., on Saturday at Ramer Field.

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2008 Schedule

Soccer Team Picks Up 1-0 Win at Northland

Sept. 15, 2008

The Falcon soccer team picked up its first win of the season with a 1-0 decision at Northland College on Monday afternoon. River Falls improves their overall record to 1-5.

The recently named players of the week for RF combined on the only goal of the game at 52:51. Sophomore Megan Church scored a beautiful goal with an assist from freshman Kelsey Kizlik. Church sent the ball from the deep right side toward the far upper post and in.

The Falcons kept pressure on NC throughout the game as seven RF players registered shots, led by senior Kelly Piersak's three. Junior Kristen George and sophomore Tracey Boyle both played strong and provided essential midfield work to help calm things down and create offensive pressure.

NC junior Sarah Strobino entered the game with eight goals on 12 shots in her first three games of the season. The Falcon defense held the talented NC forward to zero shots for the game. The Falcons are now 3-0 all-time against Northland.

RF had a decided shot advantage of 5-1 in the second half, and outshot NC 11-3 for the game. Junior goalkeeper Emily Stieler made two saves and earned her first shutout of the season. It was her 10th career shutout.

"Northland's defense did a nice job and their keeper had some good saves," said Falcon Head Coach Sean McKuras. "We are very happy to get the win and start learning how to win as a team."

The Falcons, 0-1 in WIAC play, will look to build on this win with two conference matches this week. RF plays at Stout on Wednesday at 7 p.m., and hosts La Crosse at 2 p.m., on Saturday at Ramer Field.

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2008 Schedule

Soccer Team Drops WIAC Opener to UWEC

Sept. 12, 2008

The Falcon soccer team opened its WIAC season with a 4-1 loss to Eau Claire on Saturday afternoon at Ramer Field.

Defending WIAC champion Eau Claire, currently ranked second in the NCAA Div. III Central Region rankings, pressured the Falcons throughout the first half. EC's strong ball control kept the action in the RF zone for much of the first 45 minutes. With EC leading 2-0 and the first half winding down, Falcon sophomore Anna Gutknecht struck a beautiful corner kick and senior Kelly Piersak knocked it home.

The Falcons increased their intensity in the second half and continued to play strong defense, despite missing five players due to injury. Gutnek, senior Amy Piersak, and sophomore Tracey Boyle played aggressive soccer and cleared many balls out of the zone. Freshman defender Jackie Rosenholm also gave the Falcons some great minutes.

With 34 minutes remaining in the game, EC scored its third goal of the game. This was the second goal of the match that deflected off of a Falcon player and into the net for EC. EC's fourth goal came with 17 minutes remaining and put the game out of reach.

Although disappointed with the final score, Head Coach Sean McKuras was pleased with the class and passion that the Falcons showed. "We are looking to move toward .500 on the season starting Monday (at Northland)," said McKuras after the game.

The coming week will be a busy one. Monday they play the first of three games for the week when they visit Northland at 4 p.m. Wednesday at 7 p.m., RF will travel to UW-Stout before finishing the week at home at 2 p.m. against UW-La Crosse on Saturday at Ramer Field.

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2008 Schedule

Soccer Team Comeback Effort Falls Short in Double OT Loss

Sept. 7, 2008

The River Falls soccer team (0-4) was defeated in the second overtime, 3-2, by St. Scholastica (4-0) in a neutral site match held in Moorhead, Minn.

Trailing 2-0 only 14:37 into the first half, the Falcons never stopped working. Senior Kelly Piersak scored with an assist from junior Kristen George just before the end of the half providing a lift for the Falcons. It was Piersak's first goal of the year. RF then tied the score with a goal from freshman Eryn Lansverk assisted by sophmore Tracey Boyle. It was Lansverk's second goal of the year.

CSS scored the game winner with a goal at 101:15 in the second overtime to end the RF comeback.

Lansverk, who lead RF with five shots, narrowly missed another goal as it hit the post. Junior goalie Emily Stieler had three saves as RF was outshot for the game 10-9. This was Lansverk’s second straight game with a goal as well as George’s second straight game with an assist.

Despite the loss, Head Coach Sean McKuras is certain that his team can run with anyone. “This team has more fight in it than any team I’ve had,” said McKuras. Every healthy player on the roster contributed in the Cobber Invitational matches this weekend, providing valuable experience for all.

All four of the Falcon 2008 matches have come against undefeated opponents. The schedule does not get easier as RF begins the WIAC schedule on Saturday at 2 p.m., by hosting the reigning conference champion Eau Claire at Ramer Field.

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2008 Schedule

Soccer Team Drops 3-1 Decision
at Concordia-Moorhead

Sept. 6, 2008

The Falcon soccer team lost 3-1 Saturday afternoon at Concordia-Moorhead at the Cobber Invitational in Moorhead, Minn., in front of 365 fans.

The Falcons held tough with C-M through the first half, trailing only 1-0 at the break despite an 11-3 disparity in shots for the period. However, the 2008 MIAC preseason favorite Cobbers proved too much for RF in the second half. C-M scored a pair of goals and limited the Falcons to only three shots on goal for the game.

The lone goal for the Falcons was scored at 56:51 by freshman Eryn Lansverk and assisted by junior Kristen George. George fed Lansverk a pass and Lansverk broke in on the C-M goalie and scored.

Freshman goalie Rachel Thompson made her first start for the Falcons and had three saves. Junior Emily Stieler also played in goal and had four saves for RF. Britt Reiersgord paced C-M with two saves.

C-M led the MIAC in goals against average in 2007 and has not allowed more than a single goal in 21 of their previous 24 matches.

The Falcons, now 0-3 overall, will look for their first win of the season on Sunday at 4 p.m., as they continue the Cobber Invite against undefeated St. Scholastica.

Game Box

2008 Schedule

Soccer Team Loses Tightly Contested
Match to Augsburg 1-0

Sept. 3, 2008

The Falcon soccer team lost a tightly contested match 1-0 to Augsburg College on Wednesday evening at Ramer Field.

Defense and ball control were on display throughout the match. The scoreless game was decided when AC’s Bri Clark scored the game winner on an assist from Katie Medd with just 3:05 to play.

Augsburg pressured the Falcons defense throughout the first half. AC had a decisive advantage in both shots (10-4) and corner kicks (4-1) through one period. Despite the statistical advantage, AC could not break through the strong Falcon defense.

The Falcons played an aggressive second half and applied pressure of their own. With 23:20 remaining Jen Terry sent a beautiful corner kick into the zone, only to be denied by a strong save by the AC goalie, Maggie DeGroot.

AC ended the game with a 15-10 advantage in shots. AC also led in corners (5-2) and fouls (7-5).

Falcon goalie Emily Stieler finished with five saves with four coming in the first half. DeGroot stopped six shots witih four coming in the second half.

The Falcons played well as a team. Head Coach Sean McKuras singled out strong performances by Kelsey Kizlik and Jessi Larson. Kizlik is a freshman forward from River Falls, Wis., and Larson is a junior defender from Winona, Minn.

The loss drops the Falcons to 0-2 for the season. The schedule does not get any easier for the Falcons as three of the first five games this season are played against opponents that went to the national tournament last year. “By the end of the year we will have one of the toughest schedules in the country,” said McKuras.

The Falcons will travel to the Cobber Invite Sept. 6-7. They will play Concordia on Saturday at 5 p.m., and St. Scholastica on Sunday at 4 p.m.

Game Box

2008 Schedule

Soccer Team Opens Season With
2-1 Loss to St. Thomas

Aug. 30, 2008

The Falcon soccer team opened its season with a 2-1 loss to St. Thomas on Saturday afternoon at Ramer Field.

St. Thomas dominated most of the first half and led 1-0. Kristen Moran scored the goal, at 13:47, off a shot that went off the cross bar and trickled over the line. UST had an 8-5 advantage in first half shots.

The Falcons played a much stronger second half. Kayla Scott tied the game with a goal at 54:59. She ripped a shot over the goal keepers hand from about 30 yards out.

The match remained tight the rest of the way. UST's Alison True put a corner kick in the box and Erin Sprangers was able to head it home to score what proved to be the game-winning goal.

UST had a 19-14 advantage in total shots. UST also led in corners (9-3) and fouls (6-3).

Falcon goalie Emily Stieler made eight saves while UST goalie, Molly Meinert, stopped three shots.

The Falcons will host Augsburg on Wednesday at Ramer Field with action starting at 5 p.m.

Game Box

2008 Schedule

Soccer Team Hosts St. Thomas in
Season Opener on Saturday

Aug. 25 , 2008

By Steve Linzmeier
UWRF Sports Information

For the University of Wisconsin-River Falls soccer team the 2007 season was one to forget. They finished the year with just one conference win and two wins overall.

The Falcons lost a 6-1 decision in the first round of the WIAC tournament to Stevens Point to conclude the disappointing season.

On the plus side, two Falcons were named to the all conference team, but both Tracy Olson and Julie Sperstad would be lost to graduation.

This is a new season however and the Falcons look to open the 2008 season on new footing. Head Coach Sean McKuras expects his team to fight back into the conference race.

McKuras enters his seventh season as head coach of the Falcons. McKuras has a 66-41-11 record since taking over, including one WIAC Championship, in 2003. It is the only conference championship in school history.

The Falcons will be lead by senior midfielders and captains Betsy Straub and Jen Terry. Last season Terry started every game for the Falcons while scoring one goal and picking up two assists. Straub wasn't able to find the back of the net, but saw the field quite often starting 15 games.

On defense the Falcons return two of their top performers from a year ago. Junior Jessi Larson and senior Amy Piersak will head up the defense. Seeing most of the action in goal will be junior Emily Stieler. She saw action in all 19 games in 2007, starting 17 of them. She saved 76.1 percent of the shots she saw and finished with a 2.17 goals against average.

Senior Kelly Piersak will lead the attack for River Falls. She scored two goals last season and will look to improve on that mark in 2008. Also, junior Kayla Scott, who had a goal last season, will return sto play forward or midfield.

Six new faces will join the squad for the upcoming season. Eryn Lansverk and Christa Ayers will play forward. Erin Genin plays midfield. On defense the Falcons add Vanessa Varichek and Jaclyn Rosenholm. A new goalkeeper will also be in the mix this year in Rachel Thompson. McKuras seems pleased with their progress. "We have made some very strong additions to our team this year."

Last season Eau Claire and Stevens Point took the top spots in the WIAC. and they will be the top teams again in 2008.McKuras believes, "this will be one of the strongest conferences in the country once again."

The Falcons open the 2008 season at Ramer Field on Saturday against St. Thomas in a 4 p.m., start. They will play three more non-conference affairs before opening the WIAC schedule on Sept. 13 with the host defending WIAC champion Eau Claire.

2008 Schedule