MINNEAPOLIS-- Women's Soccer battled for the full 90 minutes on Wednesday night but once again came up short against the University of Northwestern. The Eagles defeated the Rams 3-2 in a midweek Upper Midwest Athletic Conference match.

North Central (5-7, 1-5 UMAC) was able to keep the Eagles off the score board for the first 17 minutes before visitors took a 1-0 lead on a ball put just past the keeper as she had come off her line toward a loose ball. Less than ten minutes later the Eagles got another goal in the 26th minute when NCU did not clear a ball well and Jordan Skarin put it in the back of the net to make it 2-0. 

Junior Dakotah Sparrman (Apple Valley, Minn./Shattock-St Mary) was able get NCU back in the game when she scored in the 33rd minute on a through ball into the left middle of the 20 yard box from senior Laura Leist (Menasha, Wis/Menasha) and it would remain 2-1 at the break.

As the match neared the hour mark Northwestern got what would eventually stand as the game winner in the 59th minute to make it 3-1. Dakotah Sparrman would score again off a direct kick a few steps outside the penalty area and to the right of goal. Her perfectly placed shot bent across the face of the goal and into the upper left corner to make it 3-2 in the 75th minute.

Unfortunately for the Rams they could not find an equalizer and Northwestern claimed the match. The Eagles outshot the Rams 21-7 on the day.

Dakotah Sparrman maintained her UMAC goal scoring lead with her two tallies on Wednesday. She currently has 18 on the year placing her among the top five in all of NCAA Division III. Jordan Skarin of UNW is currently second in the league with 11 goals.

The Rams will be back in action on Saturday when they host Martin Luther College (New Ulm, Minn.) That UMAC contest is scheduled for a 1 p.m. kickoff in Minneapolis.