MITCHELL, S.D. — Dakota Wesleyan Women's Soccer squared off against Dakota State for the first time ever in the inaugural Copa Del Dakota contest.
The game would start without much offensive action, but as the contest continued, the Tigers would find their groove, consistently finding ways to work towards the goal. Hannah Petrucci would record the most shots between both teams, tallying seven in total with three on the goal, while Reese Leighton and Jacque Madrid would each contribute three shots each to push the pace and keep the pressure on the Trojans' defense. Abigail Colgrove would allow no goals for Dakota Wesleyan in a full 90-minute appearance, registering three saves on all three shots that came towards the net. The stout effort by the goalkeeper and backline would allow for DWU to operate on the opposing side of the pitch, eventually leading to the first goal of the game in the 36th minute as Mikayla Adams tapped in a well-placed corner kick from Annika Enevoldsen. The Tigers would take this 1-0 lead into the locker room as the first half came to a close.
The Tigers would carry their momentum from the lone goal at the end of the first half and convert it into an explosive start in the second half. Leighton would find the back of the Dakota State net unassisted in the 47th minute before Arlette Montanez would receive another fantastic assist from Enevoldsen to score just two minutes later. Just 30 seconds after DWU's third goal of the day, Petrucci would connect on one of her many shot attempts to bring the score to 4-0 with Enevoldsen recording her third assist of the evening. The flurry of scores would cool down, but not before Enevoldsen would register a goal of her own in the 58th minute after helping out three of her teammates to extend Dakota Wesleyan's lead to 5-0, with Esmeralda Guzman setting her up for the goal. The game would be scoreless through the final half-hour of competition, and the Tigers would claim the victory over their first-ever matchup against Dakota State University Women's Soccer. Dakota Wesleyan outshot the Trojans 25-6 during the course of the match.
DWU Women's Soccer will be back in action for Senior Day against Mount Marty on Saturday, September 20th, at 7:30 PM. See the full 2025 schedule here.