Statesmen Kept Off the Board in I-163 Battle

William Penn University Athletics

Pella–The William Penn women’s soccer team had an assortment of scoring chances against non-conference rival Central, but was unable to finish them off in a 2-0 loss Tuesday.

The Statesmen (6-11) posted a 17-8 edge in shots, including a 9-2 first-half margin. Unfortunately, that did not yield a victory as the Dutch (11-4-2) scored twice in the second stanza (57th and 88th minutes).

William Penn put a collective ten shots on goal, making Central goalkeeper Sydney Lunardi work for the victory. Kami Paulsen (Jr., Bondurant, Iowa, Communications) recorded four shots (all on goal), while Alyce Correia (Fr., Perth, Australia, Elementary Education) (three shots) and Lauren Abbas (So., Adel, Iowa, Communications) (two shots on goal) were also offensive threats.

“We worked really hard and enjoyed the vast majority of the play today against a solid opponent,” Head Coach Willie McGowan said. “Sadly, their defense stood firm and we could not find the back of the net when we had the pressure. That unfortunately is the beauty of our sport–the team controlling the game does not necessarily win.”

“It is obviously disappointing and frustrating, but at the same time we have to understand and believe that we are very close to being an excellent team,” McGowan added. “If you compare this year’s stats against last year’s, it is a complete turnaround.”

Next: William Penn returns to Oskaloosa Saturday to host MCC rival Grand View in its regular season finale at 1 p.m.