MOUNT VERNON, Iowa — Sophomore Natalia Nuño scored her first goal of the season and second of her career, breaking a scoreless tie with 6:23 to play to lift the Knox College women's soccer team to a 1-0 road victory at Cornell College on a cold and damp Tuesday afternoon. The win was the first for the Prairie Fire (4-9-3, 1-4-2 Midwest Conference) since Sept. 17 and snapped a 27-game winless streak in league play dating back to 2022. The Rams fell to 2-14 overall and 0-7 in the conference.

Time was running out for either team to secure their first MWC win of the season, but Knox put forward a strong push in the final 25 minutes. In a seven-minute span, first-year Aniela Rossi attempted three shots, one of which was saved by Cornell College goalkeeper Sabrina Ibanez and another was blocked by a defender. After the Rams attempted a shot in the 78th minute that was wide left, first-year Eliana Juarez sent a promising kick toward the goal that just slipped past the right post in the 82nd minute, leaving Prairie Fire fans wondering if their best chance had just passed them by.

But not even two minutes later, Juarez sent a beautiful pass ahead that perfectly led Nuño on the right side of the box ahead of her defender. Nuño took her shot toward the far left side of the goal and blistered it past Ibanez for what turned out to be the game-winning goal.

The first half was fairly evenly played with Cornell College attempting five shots to four for Knox, though all four Prairie Fire shots were on goal while only one was for the Rams. Sophomore Darby Wallig saved four shots for Knox to earn her sixth shutout of the season, tying her for the league lead.

"Today's conditions were less than ideal, but the team embraced it," said Knox Head Coach Annie Gerdes after the contest. "I am very proud of how the team responded in the second half and was able to find a way to get the W."

• The last Prairie Fire win in a Midwest Conference game was a 2-0 victory over Monmouth College on Oct. 4, 2022.
• Knox is now 19-12-5 all-time against the Rams, though it was the Fire's first win in the series since a 2-0 triumph on Oct. 19, 2021.

Knox will conclude its 2025 season on Saturday when it hosts Midwest Conference foe Grinnell College (5-7-4, 2-3-2 MWC) on Jorge Prats Field at noon. Fans can watch a live stream and keep up with the stats through PrairieFire.Knox.edu, the official website of Knox College Athletics.