COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – The 2017 season didn't get off to the start the Nebraska Wesleyan women's soccer team would have liked as the Prairie Wolves fell 5-1 to the College of Saint Benedict in the season opener on Friday afternoon (Sept. 1) in a match that was played at Saint John's University.
 
St. Benedict scored two goals in the first half to jump out to a 2-0 lead at intermission. They added three more goals in the second half to pull away from NWU.  The Prairie Wolves did get on the scoreboard in the final five minutes of the match.
 
It was a reunion match for Nebraska Wesleyan head coach Tudor Flintham as he served as an assistant at CSB prior to taking over the Prairie Wolves program.
 
CSB got the scoring started in the 23^rd minute on a goal by Megan Thompson making the score 1-0.  Thompson struck again in the 38^th minute making the score 2-0 as the teams headed to the locker room. 
 
Thompson had a huge match in the opener as she added two more goals in the second half to finish the day with four total goals.  The other goal came from Jane Koch just over six minutes into the second half.

Nebraska Wesleyan got their lone goal with less than five minutes to play as Carah Criner scored the initial goal of the season for the Prairie Wolves.
 
CSB outshot the Prairie Wolves 31-9, with 13 shots on goal.
 
NWU will be able to try to rebound very quickly as they face Carleton College Saturday at 3 pm.