After a hard-fought game against Western Illinois, Kansas City kept its head up and secured a win against St. Thomas on Sunday.
The match kicked off with an early goal attempt by St. Thomas, but Kansas City’s sophomore goalkeeper Mackenzie Caldwell found herself at the right place at the right time. Both teams went back and forth until the 17th minute.
Kassi Ginther, the Roos’ graduate student forward, struck first with an assist by sophomore defender Sophia Limongi. It was Limongi’s second assist since Aug. 22, and Ginther’s sixth goal of the season.
The rest of the first half included three more saves by Caldwell. Once the halftime whistle was blown, Kansas City was up 1-0. However, St. Thomas managed to regain some confidence in the locker room.
After numerous substitutions, St. Thomas scored right from the jump in the 46th minute. The match would stay tied for almost 40 minutes until UMKC junior midfielder Morgan McLaughlin scored one of the wildest goals of the season.
With the help of the gusting wind, she was able to hit the impossible wonder goal from the corner to put the Roos on top. Add some numerous saves by Caldwell and the match ended in a 2-1 victory.
The game had a couple of positives. Once again, Caldwell has shown that she can be the staple of Kansas City’s defense for years to come. Her ability to cover the entire goal while showing high intelligence outside the box will be an issue for opposing offenses.
McLaughlin was silenced for the entire season until Sunday’s spectacular showing. However, Ginther will be the ultimate x-factor for the rest of the season. She can find numerous opportunities while coming in the clutch when necessary.
On Sunday, Oct. 31, Kansas City will look to add another win against Oral Roberts at home. The matchup starts at 1 p.m.
