RIVER FALLS, Wis. – The Falcons fell 2-0 to the Warhawks Saturday afternoon at Ramer Soccer Stadium in WIAC action.
The loss moves the Falcons to 5-5-3 overall and 0-1-1 in WIAC play, while the Warhawks improve to 8-2-3 overall and 2-0-0 in conference competition.
UW-Whitewater controlled much of the opening half, outshooting the Falcons 9-2 while earning eight corner kicks. The Warhawks broke through in the 37th minute when Mason Diercks found the back of the net off an assist from Tyler Chrisman, giving the visitors a 1-0 advantage heading into halftime.
The Warhawks forced UWRF goalkeeper Greyson Shiek to make a pair of saves in the opening six minutes of the second half. UW-Whitewater extended its lead in the 62nd minute when Chrisman scored an unassisted goal to put the Warhawks ahead 2-0.
Despite the deficit, the Falcons responded with an increased offensive effort throughout the second half. UWRF recorded nine of its 11 total shots after halftime, compared to just two attempts in the opening 45 minutes.
Hunter Berry and Sean Church each generated scoring opportunities shortly after the Warhawks' second goal, while the Falcons continued to push forward in the closing minutes.
Church placed a shot on goal in the 83rd minute, forcing a save from UW-Whitewater goalkeeper Austin Waite. Carter Eklund added another shot on target in the final minute, but Waite made the stop to preserve the shutout.
Eklund and Church led the Falcons offensively with three shots apiece, each recording one shot on goal. Mauricio Cuevas added two shot attempts, while Berry, Sam Everakes and Ravel Martin each contributed one.
Shiek played all 90 minutes in goal for UWRF, recording three saves. The Warhawks finished with a 17-11 advantage in total shots and a 9-1 edge in corner kicks.
The Falcons move to non-conference play this upcoming week as they travel to Collegeville, Minn., taking on the Johnnies from Saint John's on Wednesday evening at 4 p.m.
