MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.-- A veteran got her scoring touch back and new player continued her fantastic season and North Central University women's soccer defeated Martin Luther College 3-2 on Saturday. The Rams went up two goals early on and then scored again in the middle of the second half to get a conference victory on Elliot Park Field.
North Central (6-7, 2-5 UMAC) jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first ten minutes on Saturday against Martin Luther College. Senior Karlee Hoover (Naples, Fla./Estero) scored her first goal of the year in the third minute off a great give and go from junior Dakotah Sparrman (Apple Valley, Minn./Shattuck-St Mary). In the tenth minute Sparrman made it 2-0 when she beat a couple of defenders and took it across the face of the goal and into the bottom right corner and it looked like the Rams were in charge.
Less than six minutes after Sparrman's goal the Knights showed that the game was far from over by making it 2-1 on a goal from Jenna Mauer in the 16th minute. Mauer added another goal about four minutes later to tie the game at 2-2 and the teams were deadlocked at the break.
Play was even for most of the second half but the Rams got a bit of possession and Dakotah Sparrman made the most of her chance. She snatched a loose ball at the top of the 18 yard box made a turn and fired it just under the cross bar to give NCU a 3-2 lead in the 76th minute. That moment would send up being the difference as the Rams held off the Knights last attempts to equalize over the final 14 minutes.
North Central was outshot 15-7 but made the most of their opportunities with five of their seven shots going on net. Sophomore Heather Campbell (Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd) earned the win in goal for NCU making four saves.
Dakotah Sparrman now as 20 goals on the year and has 43 points overall with with at least seven games remaining on the schedule. Both of those totals are currently second in all of NCAA Division III.
The Rams will play a critical pair of road games next week. NCU take on Crown College (St. Bonifacius, Minn.) on Tuesday at 5 p.m. Saturday the Rams travel to Northland College (Ashland, Wis.) for 1 p.m. kickoff with the Lumberjills.
