Coyotes stumble against Portland State Sunday

VERMILLION, S.D. (USD) – After scoring two first half goals to take a 2-0 lead over the Portland State Vikings, the South Dakota soccer program fell 3-2 to the Vikings Sunday afternoon at the First Bank & Trust Soccer Complex in Vermillion.

The Coyotes jumped ahead in the 33 ^rd minute when Brooke Conway , playing in her first match of the season, found the back of the net on a shot from outside the penalty box on an assist from Mali Van Meeteren . Three minutes later, Morgan Sullivan scored her first goal of the season on a pass from Rylee Haldeman to make it 2-0.

Portland State’s Abi Hoffman scored a pair of goals in the first half of the second period to tie the match at two. The Vikings got the game-winner in the 78 ^th minute.

The Coyotes had a handful of chances in the final 10 minutes that resulted in shots but were unable to get the score even. Brooklyn Bordson and Sam Luft each had shots sail off target, and Mali Van Meeteren had a shot on net that resulted in a save for the Vikings.

In total, the Coyotes had 10 shots and put half of them on target, but the Vikings attack in the second half was too much. Portland State totaled 20 shots in the match, with 16 of them in the final 45 minutes. The Coyotes recorded eight saves as a team, as Cambell Fischer recorded five saves and Margot Mulhern three saves. Fischer played a shutout first half in goal and played 65 of the 90 minutes.

Conway played 46 minutes in her first match of the season, putting two shots on net and scoring her first goal of the season. Luft led the Coyotes with three shots in the match.

The Coyotes now shift their focus to a pair of road matches to conclude the non-conference portion of the 2024 schedule. Thursday, the Coyotes head to Northern Colorado, followed by a match Sunday at Wyoming.

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