Central women really for soccer triumph
Central Dutch Athletics
PELLA — After falling behind early in the first period, the Central College women’s soccer team scored three times to secure a 3-1 victory against Simpson College Saturday afternoon.
Central (5-2-1, 1-0-0 conference) beat the Storm (2-6-0, 0-1-0 conference) won a match that served as the American Rivers Conference opener for both teams.
In the 17th minute, Simpson tallied the first score of the game off of a free kick.
“I think you’ve got to credit Simpson,” coach Mike Kobylinski said. “Their new coach has done some good things there and I think they got us out of our game plan. We adjusted and pulled it out in the end.”
Fifteen minutes later, Olivia Denham (senior, midfielder, Bondurant, Bondurant-Farrar HS) got the Dutch on the board with her sixth goal of the year. Sophomore Katie Wang (midfielder, Brooklyn Park, Minn., Park Center HS) was credited for the assist.
“Olivia scored on a wonderful volley from Katie,” Kobylinski said. “Katie really jump started our offense today.”
Still even at 1-1 70 minutes into the contest, midfielder Mikaela Erickson (junior, Spring Lake, Mich., Western Michigan Christian HS) scored the go-ahead goal off an assist from Olivia Stoops (senior, midfielder, Morton, Ill.).
“We’ve been talking to her about shooting and that was literally the talk at halftime with her,” Kobylinski said. “She did it with her left, non-dominant foot and it knuckled on the keeper a little bit.”
The Dutch got a crucial insurance goal in the 83rd minute as Denham assisted Erin Manion (junior, Delafield, Wis., Kettle Moraine HS). It was the 30th career goal for Manion, the fourth Central women’s player to ever reach that mark.
Playing a similar role to Erickson and Wang, Kobylinski cited Baylee Kivett (junior, Grinnell) for raising the level at outside midfielder.
A non-conference match against Concordia University-Chicago (Ill.) awaits the Dutch Sunday at 3 p.m. in River Forest, Illinois. The Cougars are 1-7, winning their first game on Saturday.
