Pritchard's late goal snaps Pride's losing streak with home win over Mount Mercy
DUBUQUE, Iowa - Playing in their final home game before a three-game road stretch, the Clarke University women's soccer team snapped a three-game losing streak with a 1-0 victory over Mount Mercy University at Burrows Field on Tuesday night.
Scoring just one goal in their last five games, it was looking like the Pride would have to take the positive result of a scoreless draw, being held off the scoreboard for the first 88:49 of the game, despite taking a total of 13 shots to that point to just two for MMU.
Putting on a late push in the 89th minute, CU would earn a free kick as junior Keylilah Gutierrez would send a free kick towards the box, freshman Liv Turnquist would win the race to the second ball sending it to where sophomore Elena Kapparos centered a bouncing ball to find senior Laryssa Pritchard one-on-one with Mustangs keeper, Manuela Gutierrez, firing the ball to the lower corner for the game-winning goal.
Clarke's offense had plenty opportunities in the opening frame with ten shots recorded in the first half and three second half before Pritchard's winner as the Altoona, Iowa native took a game-high five shots, with Malia Silvers, Jayden Black and Abby Prunty taking two shots, and Turnquist, Audrey McKenna, and Hailey Packer all recorded one shot.
Black was a welcome site back to the Clarke lineup after missing the previous five games as the 2024 All-Heart selection played 57 minutes to deepen a CU attacking unit that had been limited over that previous five-game stretch.
The Pride will be on the road this Saturday, Sept. 27 to take on William Woods University in Fulton, Mo. with a kickoff time of 12:00 p.m. CT.