The Golden Grizzlies women’s soccer team continue their run of dominance over the Horizon league as they took down the IUPUI Jaguars in a nailbiter of a victory. 

From the start, every move made in this game carried a sort of pensive energy that threatened to burst out as each team looked to be the first one to score. There were lots of throw-ins to start the game, as there were many passes and kicks that found their way off the field. 

For the first 15 minutes of the game, there were consistent rallies back and forth between both teams, as each pass made was met with a fiery defense. As both teams began to loosen up, the pace and aggression would only pick up. 

The pace would pick up so much so that mistakes became seemingly unavoidable. There was a bit of miscommunication from both teams, as passes would occasionally miss their marks and find the feet of the opposing side. 

Both teams would get it together, however, and give it their all in a breakneck sprint towards that potential first goal. The first ones to cross the finish line and capture that first goal would be the Golden Grizzlies when Sami Lopez would find a hole in the defense and score an absolutely electric goal to put the Grizzlies up 1-0. 

All the energy that felt locked on the field minutes before the goal suddenly burst out, as IUPUI was put on the defensive and had to try and battle back from the deficit. With each and every collison, tackle and pass, IUPUI’s desperation to score climbed and climbed. 

The high-speed play mixed with the excitement on the field would lead to some daring encounters out there on the pitch. Vigorous tackles and passes that would find heads instead of feet became a mainstay of the game as IUPUI tried to find a way back into the game. 

The passionate play, aggressive defense and tenacious offense would lead to an eventual goal for the Jaguars near the end of the half, despite the tight field coverage played by the Golden Grizzlies. Somehow finding a way through the suffocating defense, the Jaguars would look to take the lead after tying the game at one goal a piece. 

The tied score would introduce a sense of tension into the game, as each team felt the weight of the clock while time ticked away. The first half would end in a tie as neither team could find its way past the defense. 

After halftime, the players would continue the pace set in the first half while committing less mistakes. The play on the pitch was calm and calculated as each team tried to break the tie. The Golden Grizzlies would get more aggressive as time went on, constantly pushing the attack to try and find a score. 

Not to be left behind, the Jaguars would join the pace as they desperately searched for openings in the defense. The energy on the field would turn into a fever pitch when Sophie Wilsey would score the eventual game-winning goal for the Golden Grizzlies with five minutes left to go. 

The goal would put the Jaguars into survival mode as they tried to repeat their magic from the first half and make a play to get themselves back into the game with mere minutes left on the clock, but it was too late. 

As the precious seconds dripped off of the clock, the Jaguars would go into a futile mad dash to try and tie the game up. Their efforts would ultimately go unrewarded, as the Golden Grizzlies would keep them at bay and secure the 2-1 victory, advancing their current winning streak to four. 

The Golden Grizzlies will return to the pitch against Cleveland State University on Oct. 7 at the Oakland Soccer Field.