Dubuque, Iowa – The Thunder women's soccer team defeated Knox College 2-0 on Friday night in a First Round match of the 2017 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Tournament. The Thunder improve to 14-4-3 and Knox concludes the year at 14-6-2. Wheaton has won nine matches in a row and is 11-0-1 in its last 12 contests.

5The Thunder will take on the host Duhawks of Loras College Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. in a NCAA Tournament Second Round match. Loras defeated Webster 5-0 in tonight's other First Round Match. The Thunder and the Duhawks faced each other on September 2, in the second night of Wheaton's Bob Baptista Invitational. Loras topped the Thunder 2-1 in the earlier matchup.

Thunder freshman Isabelle Oliver scored two first half goals and Wheaton controlled action for the majority of the opening half. At the 19:11 mark of the match, Morgan Whitman's through ball found Oliver who blasted in the go-ahead goal from about 10-yards out to give the Thunder a 1-0 lead.

Oliver stole the ball from a Knox player in the 45^th minute and she fought through three Prairie Fire defenders to score a goal at the opposite post at the 44:23 mark. The goal, Oliver's 16^th of the season, allowed Wheaton to have a 2-0 lead at the halftime intermission.

The Thunder held a 9-0 advantage in shots in the opening half, including a 7-0 edge in shots on goal.
Wheaton continued to control play in the scoreless second half of action. The Thunder held a 5-2 advantage in shots and each team tallied a shot on goal in the closing half.

Wheaton goalkeeper Kathryn McGregor made one save in her 90 minutes of work in the Thunder net. Knox netminder Sierra Daniger made six saves and allowed the two first half goals.