ROCK ISLAND, Ill. - The University of Dubuque women's soccer team made the trip to the Illinois side of the Mississippi River down in the Quad Cities on Wednesday night. Facing off against the Augustana Vikings, the Spartans' resilience held firm as they grabbed a 1-0 win in the final seven minutes.
The opening stretch of the game was controlled by the Spartans, with a particular sequence around five minutes seeing Ava Hortillosa's shot blocked, Rylie Mensik's shot hit off the crossbar and Brooke Clark's attempt saved low. A quick break in the 15th minute from Augustana was stopped by Samantha Jurgens running out and making herself big for a great save. A subsequent 10 additional shots from the Spartans all found themselves blocked or saved before the end of the first half, leaving the score at 0-0.
In the second half of the match, the Spartans kept pushing the ball forward, keeping the Vikings chasing the ball as much as possible. Set pieces on both free kicks and corners looked dangerous for UD throughout the half. With less than seven minutes remaining, Olivia Roth earned a free kick well over 30 yards out from the goal. Claire Husnick stood over the ball and struck it on target, flying over the top of the goalkeeper and with enough power to land over the line for a 1-0 lead. UD continued to control the game to close out the final minutes of the match and leave Rock Island, Illinois, with a win.
Claire Husnick led the Spartans with the game-winning goal, her first of the season. Ava Hortillosa led the team with five shots and Rylie Mensik with three. Samantha Jurgens made three saves to earn her second clean sheet of the season.
Up Next
The Spartans improve to 2-2-2 and will travel to UW-Oshkosh on Saturday, September 19, for the 151 Derby. The game is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, at the Oshkosh Sports Complex.
