Shelby Bradley | Sports Co-Editor

Buena Vista University’s (BVU) women’s soccer team took the field on Wednesday, Oct. 1 at 7:30 against conference opponent, Simpson College. The game ended in a 1-1 tie.

Going into the match, head coach Sheena Van Roekel had a good idea of what was coming.

“In facing a team that’s very similar in style, nearly a mirror image, it truly forces the team to become more creative in finding ways to move around a system they know,” Van Roekel said.

Senior captain and defensive player Jordan Flynn also saw the similarities in Simpson and BVU’s game play, but Flynn was confident that BVU would end up on top.

“The upperclassmen have a vendetta to get after this new Simpson team and challenge them all 90 minutes. The freshmen are ready to play the game we know so well and take home a ‘W’. Although it will be a great match, I expect that this BV team will take home the win if we play to our full potential,” Flynn said.

Prior to their match the Beavers had a specific focus in their practices.

“The past few days we have focused on transitioning from offense to defense, communication and overall morale,” Flynn said.

Senior captain and forward Tori Carson scored early in the game, turning in her seventh goal of the season. This goal was left unanswered until the second half when the Simpson Storm scored with only a little over a minute to play. This left the two teams in a tie at 1-1 after playing double over-times.

“There were a couple of opportunities we needed to capitalize on in order to finish the game with a ‘W’ in the books,” Van Roekel said.

Although the score isn’t what this BVU team was hoping for, coach Van Roekel was nonetheless proud of her players.

“The ladies as a whole stepped it up. Our philosophy is eleven beats one and last night the ladies did their best to connect as a unit and get the job done,” Van Roekel said.

The Beavers now stand with a 3-5-3 overall record and are 0-2-1 in the IIAC after a loss to conference opponent Loras College on Saturday, Oct. 4. The Beavers travel to Winona, Minn. for a non-conference match-up against Saint Mary’s on Tuesday, Oct. 7.

Photo by Taylor Staab