WAYNE, Neb. -- The Minnesota State women's soccer team won its second straight match to open Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference competition with a 2-1 victory over the Wayne State Wildcats, Friday afternoon.

The Mavericks (3-1-0, 1-0-0 NSIC) scored a pair of first-half goals and held on in the second half, allowing one goal, to take down the Wildcats (0-3-1, 0-1-0 NSIC) by a final score of 2-1.

Freshman forward Louisa Shromoff scored MSU's first goal 12 minutes into the match off a through ball from freshman forward Ashlyn Watt, which Shromoff used to advance past the Wildcat's keeper before finding the back of the net with her right foot. It marked the first collegiate point for both Maverick freshmen involved and gave MSU a 1-0 lead in the first half.

Just 10 minutes later, in the 22nd minute, junior forward Jenny Vetter provided an insurance marker scoring her second goal of the season. Vetter capitalized on a ball that was loose near the net attempting to be corralled by the WSC goalkeeper before she took it away and found the vacant net to give MSU a 2-0 advantage.

The Wildcats rallied near the end of the match to cut the deficit in half with a goal from Molly Michaelson in the 86th minute. However, the Mavericks stood their ground in the final four minutes and came out on top 2-1 to open their 2021 conference slate on a winning note.

MSU dominated possession during Friday's match vs. WSC. The Mavericks outnumbered the Wildcats with a 7-1 advantage in corner kicks and a 13-7 upper hand in the shot department as well as a 4-2 edge in saves.

In goal for the Mavericks, freshman Clare Longueville moved to a 2-1 record on the season with four saves on seven shots faced in the match. On the other end for the Wildcats, Katherine Hagerman made two stops while facing 13 shots in the 90-minute match. 

Up next, the Mavericks wrap up a four-game road stretch with another conference match vs. the Augustana Vikings, Sunday at 1:00 p.m. in Sioux Falls, S.D.

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