PICTURED ABOVE: Chelsea Gnan (LEFT) scored Wheaton's first-half goal early in Wednesday's match. Isabelle Oliver (RIGHT) tallied the game-winning goal in the second half.

Grand Rapids, Mich. - The Wheaton women's soccer team battled No. 25 ranked Calvin College on the Knights' home field on Wednesday evening. Each team tallied a first-half goal, but a key second-half goal for the Thunder helped the guests to a 2-1 victory against the Knights (3-1-1). Wheaton (4-1-0) travels to Luther College on Saturday afternoon for a battle with the Norse.

Wheaton head coach Pete Felske said of his team's performance, "We were pretty sluggish in the first half. We made a couple of adjustments in terms of effort in the second half and came out in the better end. I think we played harder than they did in the second half and the increased effort resulted in more positive play. When we took control of the game from an effort standpoint it resulted in a couple of goals."

Wheaton scored the early goal in the seventh minute to take a 1-0 lead against the Knights. A Calvin pass was snatched by Jensen Ellis and she lobbed in a long cross that was headed in by Chelsea Gnan who reached the ball before Calvin goalkeeper Amy Kliewer. Calvin tied the contest at 1-1 on a goal by Emily Van Vliet in the 16th minute that was assisted by Abby Koops. Van Vliet blasted in a shot from about 16 yards out that reached the top left corner of goal to even the match. The score remained tied 1-1 at the halftime intermission. The Thunder out-shot the Knights 6-1 in the opening half.

Sophomore Isabelle Oliver gave Wheaton a 2-1 lead with a goal in the 58th minute. The ball bounced outside the 18-yard box to Ellis who lofted a cross from about 25 yards that met Oliver at the top of the penalty box. Oliver headed the ball past Kliewer who was rushing towards her to give Wheaton the 2-1 advantage.

The two teams continued a tough battle. In the 70th minute, Maria VanderLei's possible game-tying shot was stopped on a brilliant save by Thunder goalkeeper Lauren Ketchum. Thunder junior Bailey Wolf's shot attempt that would have extended Wheaton's lead to 3-1 was stopped by Kliewer in the 82nd minute. Wheaton held on for the 2-1 victory as the Thunder picked up its fifth-consecutive victory against the Knights. Wheaton held a 7-6 edge in shots in the final 45 minutes.

Wheaton out-shot the Knights 13-7, including a 5-4 edge for the Thunder in shots on goal. Wheaton was awarded three corner kicks and Calvin had two. Ketchum made three saves and allowed one goal in 90 minutes of work in the Thunder net. Kliewer made three stops, allowing two goals in the Calvin net.