Mankato West's Monera McMahon and two DeLaSalle defenders race for the ball during the second half Thursday night. McMahon tallied the only goal in the Scarlets' 1-0 victory over the Islandsers. Photo by Jeff Lawler, SportsEngine
Mankato West's Elise Rykhus battles DeLaSalle's Maddie Duca during a hard fought defensive match Thursday night. The Scarlets defeated the Islanders 1-0 in Minneapolis. Photo by Jeff Lawler, SportsEngine
Mankato West’s Monera McMahon scored a first-half goal that proved to be the game-winner in a 1-0 victory Thursday over DeLaSalle.
McMahon subbed in with just over 20 minutes left to play in the opening half. She soon made an impact, when she and Rachel Luedtke executed a perfect give-and-go on the right side of the box, opening up space for McMahon, who was able to find the back of the net. It was McMahon’s eighth goal of the season and Luedtke’s team-leading 11th assist.
Mankato West (13-1-1) closes its regular season with a win over a strong DeLaSalle (9-5-2) program headed into postseason play.
It was 46 degrees at the opening kickoff, with consistent rain in the forecast. The field stayed dry all first half, but rain started falling throughout the second half, making it difficult to complete passes and limiting scoring chances for both teams.
Just 45 seconds into the game, DeLaSalle’s Maggie Haller de-possessed a defender on the edge of the box to set up a chance. Her left-footed effort sailed over the crossbar, and the Islanders never scored. They roll into section play after finishing with a perfect 8-0 Tri-Metro Conference record.
DeLaSalle senior Tatziana McKnight pushes the play upfield against Mankato West. The Islanders fell to the Scarlets 1-0 Thursday night in Minneapolis. Photo by Jeff Lawler, SportsEngine
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