ST. PAUL, Minn. – Prior to Wednesday night, the last time the University of Northwestern Women's Soccer team played Bethel University and didn't lose was in 2003. That day, Northwestern went to Bethel and knocked off the home team to claim its one and only win over its neighbor to the north. While Wednesday's home opener against the Royals didn't result in a win, the Eagles were still able to snap a 17-game losing streak to Bethel thanks to a Herculean effort from senior
Megan Kohrt (Monona, Wis./Homeschool). Playing without superstar teammate
Haley Mersberger (Kiel, Wis./Elkhart Lake Glenbeulah), the captain scored three goals, the last coming with less than two minutes remaining in the match, to end the game in a 3-3 draw.
UNW, who entered the game 0-3 on the young season, came out with clear intensity against the 2-0 Royals despite its back being against the wall with Mersberger sidelined.
Mya Chan (Brandon, S.D./Homeschool),
Mallory Moseman (Woodbury, Minn./New Life Academy),
Elle Bush (Bemidji, Minn./Bemidji) and
Lauren Bosley (Blaine, Minn./Blaine) stymied Bethel's attack and kept the game scoreless for much of the first half. Finally, in the 40
th minute, Kohrt bent a left-footed shot left to right and into the top left corner of the Bethel net to give Northwestern a 1-0 lead just before half and send the Reynolds Field crowd into a frenzy.
Halftime brought reinforcements for the visitors in the form of a passionate group of students that had arrived during the break, and the Royals responded. Goals in the 49
th and 50
th minutes left the UNW faithful stunned as their team now trailed 2-1 in the blink of an eye. Northwestern, however, showed incredible resolve. Both teams traded shots on goal and Samatha Hansen made some incredible saves to keep Northwestern's deficit at one. In the 79
th minute, Kohrt struck again, stepping in front of a Bethel defender in the 18-yard box to one-time a
Meghan Corbett (Sartell, Minn./St. Cloud Cathedral) pass into the net with her left foot.
With new life breathed into Reynolds Field, the Eagles had stolen the momentum back. Just one minute after her second goal, Kohrt got another shot on goal, but wasn't able to convert. But just as they had done before, the Royals spoiled the party. A teach tape-worthy run out led to a Bethel goal in the 85
th minute to give the visitors a 3-2 lead with time running out. It was do-or-die time, and Kohrt went into hero mode to close out her legacy game. In the 89
th minute, the captain's shot was blocked by a defender right in front of her. The ball deflected to her right and she calmly adjusted and used her non-dominant foot to float a tear drop right over top of the goalkeeper's outstretched arm to tie the game at three. With the crowd losing its collective mind,
Naomi Meehan (Waconia, Minn./Homeschool) and Kohrt each were able to get one more shot off apiece, but weren't able to connect. The game ended in a 3-3 draw and the 17-game skid was history.
As you might expect, Kohrt's stat line was eye-popping. The senior shot eight times, four of which were on goal, and scored on three of them.
Megan Moeller (Sheboygan, Wis./Sheboygan Christian School) finished with five shots and three on goal. Chan was the only other Eagle to log a shot on goal, while Corbett tallied the only assist. Hansen was terrific on the back end, making six saves to keep UNW above water all night.
Northwestern will look to build off the momentum of a strong finish when it travels to face 4-0-1 St. Olaf College on Saturday. Kickoff in Northfield is scheduled for 1:00 PM.
