Girls’ soccer team splits with Moorhead, St. Cloud Apollo

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The Cardinal girls’ soccer team dropped its third game of the season when Moorhead came to town and left with a 5-3 victory this past Monday night.

It was a back-and-forth game with Alexandria striking first 15 minutes into the contest. Shenae Morical scored from a sharp angle from about 20 yards out to give her team an early 1-0 lead. That lasted less than a minute before Emily Steen tied the game up with the first of her three goals on the day.

Trailing 2-1 in the second half, Taylor Meehan scored from 18 yards out for the Cardinals to tie the game back up at two. The Alex momentum was short-lived again as Burmingham scored just three minutes later to give her team back the lead.

Meehan answered back with 18 minutes remaining in the game to tie the game at three. Moorhead would go on to score two more goals before the end of regulation, though, to secure the win.

In the loss, the Cardinals lost defender Amy Krivanek for an undetermined amount of time after she was hit in the eye with a ball off the foot of a Moorhead player from about five yards away.

“Krivanek holds our defense together and more important than any win would be that her eye heals well after such a traumatic blow,” head coach Thomas Roos said.

Alexandria may have to do without her for a while as the Cardinals fall to 11-3 on the season. Goalkeeper Catherine Keenan had nine saves in the losing effort against the Spuds.

“When the wins fall into place like they have this season for us, a loss can serve as a wake up call and hopefully we will come out a stronger, more focused team for the final games of our regular season,” Roos said.

Alexandria 2,

St. Cloud Apollo 1

Alexandria knocked off St. Cloud Apollo last Thursday 2-1, handing the Eagles their second loss in as many meetings with the Cardinals, and moving them one game behind the Card girls’ soccer team in the CLC standings.

It was a scoreless battle between the two teams until just two minutes remained on the clock. It was then that Erin Wymore connected on a free kick from 25 yards out, hitting the crossbar and sending the ball straight to the ground.

“A number of Alex players were crashing the net, including Olivia Rice, who knocked the ball in for the only goal of the half,” said coach Tom Roos.

Four minutes into the second half, Michelle Anez found Shenae Morical in the middle, who made a 20-yard run, cutting past a defender and scoring the second goal of the night.

A hand ball penalty with 19 seconds remaining in the game gave Apollo’s Ali Schwinghammer a penalty kick, which she placed in the upper corner to take away Cardinal goal keeper Kathy Berglin’s shutout.

“To win games like this, strong play is needed from all players,” said Roos. “This was seen in the solid play of Taylor Meehan and Steph Redmond, who are both showing steady improvement over the course of the season, along with Riza Tantay.”

Tags: sports, girls, soccer, alexandria, cardinals, moorhead, st, cloud, apollo