Cowgirls fall for first time this season

ST PAUL, Minn., -- On the surface, the University of Wyoming soccer team’s Sunday result against Minnesota isn’t ideal. The Cowgirls dropped a 4-0 decision at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium.

However, dig a little deeper and one will find a gritty UW squad that didn’t quit when things hadn’t gone its way early on.

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“The kids were super resilient,” UW head coach Colleen Corbin said. “They stuck to what we asked them to do, and we made Minnesota’s life really hard in the second half. For us, that’s about as good a takeaway that you can get from a 4-0 loss. I was super proud of our effort in the second half to come out and make the changes we did.”

The defeat dropped UW to 3-1-1 on the season. The win improved the Gophers to 3-0-2, as they’ve yet to allow a goal this season.

Minnesota scored the game’s first goal in the second minute, adding its second and third goal within the next 12 minutes. The Gophers’ final score occurred in 35th minute.

But as Corbin alluded to, the Cowgirls went into halftime, tweaked a few areas and came out in the second half eager to player better. And it showed.

After just one shot in the opening 45 minutes, Wyoming logged four in the final half of play. The remaining 45 minutes also featured numerous bench players receiving extensive playing time, as Minnesota failed to score again.

“I was super proud of our girls’ ability to take information, apply it, dig their heels in and understand that the first half doesn’t define the second half,” Corbin said. “We showed that, and I was really proud of that effort.”

Wyoming concludes its road trip – which began with a 1-1 tie at North Dakota State on Thursday – with one more match Tuesday. The Cowgirls battle St. Thomas at 3 p.m. at South Field before returning home for a Friday match against Idaho State.

“We wanted to get results on this road swing, and every one is focused on that vison,” Corbin said. “We are here to compete. This is a business trip for us, so we will be ready to roll on Tuesday and put our best foot forward.”

* University of Wyoming press release

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