Dubuque Rallies in Second Half to Edge Grinnell, 1-0
GRINNELL, Iowa — For 45 minutes Tuesday afternoon, Grinnell College controlled the flow of its season opener.
The University of Dubuque flipped the script after halftime.
Sarah Thompson scored in the 82nd minute to lift Dubuque to a 1-0 victory over Grinnell on Sept. 1, giving the Spartans a season-opening win after they were held without a shot in the first half.
Grinnell came out as the aggressor, putting together eight shots before halftime while Dubuque failed to record one.
Teya Lochridge forced Dubuque goalkeeper Samantha Jurgens into a save in the 20th minute, while Lucy Collier put two more shots on frame later in the half. Jurgens stopped both attempts and helped keep the match scoreless.
Grinnell entered halftime with an 8-0 advantage in shots and a 3-0 edge in shots on goal, but the Pioneers were unable to turn that pressure into a goal.
The match changed quickly after the break.
Dubuque began finding space in the Grinnell defense and took its first shot in the 51st minute when Olivia Roth sent an attempt wide.
Bree Swenson followed with a shot in the 54th minute, and Brooke Clark had another chance two minutes later.
The pressure continued.
Kaelyn Kanable put Dubuque’s first shot on goal in the 57th minute, forcing Grinnell goalkeeper Peyton Dixon to make the save. Swenson put another shot on target one minute later, but Dixon again kept the Spartans off the board.
Grinnell had only one shot during the entire second half. Addison Thornberg tested Jurgens in the 62nd minute, but the Dubuque goalkeeper made the save.
Dubuque continued pushing forward.
Maelyn Kluever put a shot on goal in the 72nd minute, with Dixon making her third save of the match.
The breakthrough finally came with 8:07 remaining.
Thompson scored at the 81:53 mark off an assist from Taryn Richey, putting Dubuque in front 1-0.
It was Thompson’s first goal of the season.
Grinnell was unable to answer over the final eight minutes, allowing Dubuque to complete a dramatic second-half turnaround.
The final numbers showed just how different the two halves were.
Grinnell outshot Dubuque 8-0 during the opening 45 minutes. Dubuque responded by outshooting Grinnell 10-1 after halftime.
The Spartans finished with a 10-9 advantage in total shots, while both teams put four shots on goal.
Dubuque also held 56 percent of the possession compared with 44 percent for Grinnell. Both teams finished with four corner kicks.
Jurgens made four saves while earning the shutout and her first victory of the season.
Dixon made three saves for Grinnell and took the loss despite keeping the Pioneers in the match through more than 81 minutes.
Swenson led Dubuque with three shots, while Clark and Kanable each had two.
Collier led Grinnell with three shots, including two on goal. Rylee Howard and Lochridge each recorded two shots.
The victory moved Dubuque to 1-0 on the season, while Grinnell fell to 0-1.
Attendance for the match in Grinnell was 91.
