MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- After a nice Labor Day weekend, the North Central University (NCU) women's soccer team was rearing to go as they faced Buena Vista University (BVU). In the nonconference matchup, the Rams went back and forth with the Beavers, but edged BVU out in the end. NCU secured their first win of the season with a 1-0 victory.

Game Vitals

• NCU had 16 total shots and ten on goal.
• The Ram's squad all contributed to the win as each player got some minutes.

Game Recap

From the first whistle, anyone watching could tell the Rams came to play. Each player stepped up, played tough but composed, and stayed strong through the whole 90 minutes. Most of the game was back and forth between the two teams. The Beavers would test NCU's backline, to no avail, who then would send it forward to the Ram's midfield. Then NCU had their turn, pushing the ball hard into BVU's defensive half. Outside midfielders Kara Lewis (Mandeville, LA, Northlake Christian School), Lideeya Lwoy (Willmar, MN, Willmar Senior High School), and Katrina Conrad (St. Paul, MN, St. Croix Lutheran Academy) challenged the Beaver's outside backs well by taking them on 1v1 down the line. This action resulted in many chances for the rest of NCU's offense to find the back of the net.

Both teams came back into the second half after the break tied 0-0. The Ram's defense was able to catch the Beavers in a couple of offside traps which is becoming a specialty of NCU. About halfway into the second half, the rain came making it hard to see for all the players and making the ball much more slippery. NCU's goalkeeper, Arien Fritts (Ham Lake, MN, Fritts Homeschool Academy), was phenomenal in adjusting to the weather as she had 12 saves and allowed no goals in. After lots of pressure in BVU's defense, Lewis crossed in a perfect ball right to the head of Hannah Grubbs (Mantua, OH, Newbury High School) who knocked right into the back of the net. NCU played smart the remaining 20 minutes of the game and came out on top over the Beavers 1-0.

Looking Ahead

The Rams have yet another home game this coming Saturday. NCU will play their last nonconference matchup of the season against Finlandia University at 3:30 pm. All fans are encouraged to tune into official Rams Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter pages for updates on women's soccer and much more information.