Whitewater, Wis. -- After a pair of home games last week, the Wheaton women's soccer team headed back out on the road this afternoon to take on the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Warhawks in the final match of the Thunder's non-conference slate for the regular season. UW-Whitewater claimed a 4-1 victory in Wednesday's meeting, meaning that Wheaton's season record is 3-6 upon the conclusion of non-conference action.

The Warhawks went on the attack early in today's contest and registered a corner kick less than two minutes in, with the game's first shot on target coming two minutes later. Offensive opportunities were limited in the following ten-minute stretch, but Whitewater took the lead in the 15th minute courtesy of a neatly-placed chip shot off of the post. Mia Blair nearly equalized from Wheaton's first attempt on goal 14 minutes later, but the opposition goalkeeper made a great save to deny the senior captain and preserve the home side's lead. But the Thunder would go on to tie the score at 1-1 after all in the 41st minute when Katherine Ashley's corner kick delivery found the head of Noella Taylor (pictured below), who directed her effort inside the near post for her second goal of the season. Each side put one more attempt on frame before the end of the first half, but the respective keepers did their jobs and the match was level at 1-1 heading into the break.

Wheaton carried momentum into the intermission, but the home team reemerged from the locker room in style, scoring three times from clinical finishes in the first nine minutes of the period to put the result beyond doubt. UW-Whitewater played it safe following this explosive stretch and did not register another shot attempt in the game after reclaiming the lead. But the hosts' defense also blanketed the Thunder attack and conceded just one effort on goal in the last 35 minutes of the contest to seal a professional win.

The Warhawks put nine attempts on target from 13 shots in Wednesday's fixture while limiting their guests to just four efforts on frame, three of which came in the first half. But the Thunder carved out two more corner kicks than their hosts did at a 6-4 split and edged the possession total at 51-49%.

Elizabeth Netz made five saves in goal for the visitors this evening, and Juliana Norman came in for the last six minutes of the game in her first appearance of the season. Taylor was one of four Thunder players to post a shot on goal in the 90 minutes of play, with Blair, Lily Lindquist, and Grace Crowder equaling this mark and Ashley earning her third assist of the campaign on Taylor's first-half equalizer.

Now past the halfway point of its regular season schedule, the Thunder women's squad will look to begin the 2024 conference slate on a strong note when it travels to Elmhurst University this weekend. The CCIW opener between the Thunder and the Bluejays is set for 5 PM at Langhorst Field on Saturday evening.