RIPON, Wis. — In a defensive struggle, the Knox College women's soccer team played to a scoreless draw at Ripon College on Saturday, snapping a six-game skid in the process. The Prairie Fire (3-8-2, 0-4-1 Midwest Conference) and Red Hawks (3-6-4, 1-1-2 MWC) combined for just eight shots in the contest, only four of which were on goal as the defenses flexed their muscles.
Ripon came out as the aggressor, firing off a shot after just two and a half minutes of action. The next shot was on goal in the 13th minute, but Knox sophomore goalkeeper Bri Mahoney was there to deny the attempt. Sophomore Natalia Nuño had the best scoring opportunity for the Prairie Fire just a few minutes later, but her shot — the only one for Knox all day — was stopped cold.
The first 30 minutes of the second half featured just one shot, off target, but the Red Hawks turned up the heat, getting off three shots in the final 13 minutes; one was high, and Mahoney took care of the other two as she recorded her first career shutout.
- Knox is 0-2-2 against Ripon the last four seasons and have not scored in any of those matchups (while allowing just two goals), but the team is 5-2-4 in the last 11 meetings.
- The last Prairie Fire win in the series was a 6-0 romp on Oct. 16, 2021.
Knox has a tough assignment up next with Lawrence (5-4-5, 3-1-1 MWC) coming to town on Saturday, Oct. 18 for a game that begins at 11 a.m. Fans can watch a live stream and keep up with the stats through the official website of Knox College Athletics, PrairieFire.Knox.edu.
