DE PERE, Wis. – The UW-River Falls women's soccer team returns home with a 4-2 road victory over St. Norbert College, highlighted by a hat trick from Ellie Ketcher, the first hat trick for the Falcons since Madyson Shew in 2023. Emery Bigler also found a way to stay busy with four assists herself on the night.
The Falcons, now 7-2-3 & 0-1-2 WIAC scored twice in each half to secure the non-conference victory, overcoming a 2-2 halftime tie with a pair of unanswered second-half goals.
Ketcher opened the scoring in the eighth minute off an assist from Bigler. The early goal gave the Falcons the lead and set the tone for a productive offensive evening.
The Falcons doubled their lead in the 22nd minute when Leah Hultman found the back of the net, once again assisted by Bigler, putting UW-River Falls ahead 2-0.
St. Norbert responded in the 31st minute when Trinity Popelka scored off an assist from Colleen Callaghan, cutting the Falcons' advantage in half. The Green Knights eventually found the equalizer with just 35 seconds remaining in the opening half, as Addie Schneider scored in the 45th minute to send the teams into halftime tied 2-2.
The Falcons came out of the break lcreating several offensive opportunities early in the second half. Ketcher nearly broke the tie in the 50th minute, sending a shot off the right post, while goalkeeper Courtney Bain made a key save in the 56th minute to keep the contest even.
UW-River Falls eventually broke through in the 68th minute when Ketcher recorded her second goal of the evening, assisted by Emma Haley and Bigler. The goal gave the Falcons a 3-2 lead with just over 22 minutes remaining.
Ketcher completed the hat trick in the 83rd minute, finding the back of the net for the third time off another assist from Bigler. The insurance goal extended the Falcons' lead to 4-2 and secured the road victory.
Ketcher led the UW-River Falls offense with three goals on five shots, including four shots on goal. Hultman added the Falcons' fourth goal, while Bigler played a pivotal role in the offensive attack, recording assists on all four goals. Emma Haley also added an assist in the victory.
The Falcons finished with a 14-12 advantage in total shots, with both teams recording seven shots on goal. Bain played all 90 minutes in net for UW-River Falls, making five saves to earn the victory.
UW-River Falls will return home on Saturday, Oct. 17, to host UW-Stevens Point in WIAC action at Ramer Soccer Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m., with the matchup also serving as the Falcons' Youth Day celebration.
