Box Score
The Prairie Fire got last weekend off to a good start with an exciting win on the road against a conference opponent, but Sunday was a different story at home as Knox settled for a split.
Unfortunately for the Fire, Elmhurst (7-2-1) dominated the match.
The Bluejays scored their first goal at the 15:20 mark, and then added another score less than 90 seconds later for a 2-0 lead - which grew to 3-0 at the half. Four more goals over the final 45 minutes gave Elmhurst the 7-0 victory.
When the dust settled, Elmhurst's seven goals were scored by six different people and all of the goals were assisted. Lindsay Carlson was one of the thorns in Knox College's side. She finished the afternoon with a pair of goals and one assist. Valerie Wesley added one goal and two assists for the Jays.
Knox managed just one shot in the match, taken by Swanson, while Elmhurst got off 29 - including 15 on goal. Koene recorded eight saves in the net.
The Prairie Fire (6-8, 1-4 MWC) has a very important trip to Wisconsin this weekend that will likely decide whether or not Knox qualifies for the Midwest Conference Tournament. Knox, playing two MWC matches, needs wins and the competition will be very tough.
First up, on Saturday, is a match in Waukesha, Wisconsin against first-place Carroll University.
The Pioneers own a 5-0 league record and are 9-3 overall (as of 10/14). Even more challenging for Knox is Carroll is hot, with five straight wins. The last loss for the Pioneers, a 2-1 setback, was September 25 against Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri. The other defeats were 1-0 losses in the third and fourth matches of the season. The match begins at 10:00 a.m. followed by the men's match.
Ripon awaits Knox in another MWC match on Sunday.
The Red Hawks have struggled with a 3-10 record (as of 10/14), but do own a 2-3 mark in conference play. The wins were against Illinois College and Beloit. Ripon has dropped its last two matches, both by 5-0 scores, to Monmouth College and Concordia of Wisconsin. The match in Ripon begins at 11:00 a.m. followed by the men's match.
