After a scrimmage and an exhibition match over the last 10 days, the Yellowjacket women's soccer team kicked off the season for real Friday afternoon, hosting UW-River Falls at the N.B.C. Spartan Sports Complex in Superior.

The Yellowjackets played their former W.I.A.C. foe tight defensively, but UW-River Falls waited the Yellowjackets out and score a pair of goals in the final minutes of the match to take the season opener 3-0.

Early on the match the teams seemed content to play things in the middle of the field, with neither team generating much in terms of offense. That changed in the 25th minute when the Falcons drew first blood, with Maggie Koehler scoring off a header to push River Falls ahead 1-0.

It stayed that way until just past the midway point of the second half when the Falcons scored twice in quick succession to pull away. Rachel Windingstad scored from the right side in the 75th minute to make it 2-0. Then in the 78th minute Jadelyn Hunn scored on a header to give the Falcons a 3-0 lead, and eventually the victory.

Madison Gutekunst (Mound, Minn./Mound Westonka) got the start in goal for the Yellowjackets and left the game in the 21st minute with an injury, giving way to Linnea Bollum (Apple Valley, Minn./Apple Valley). Gutekunst then replaced Bollum in the second half and finished the game. She allowed a pair of goals and made five saves in 49 minutes of play. Bollum also finished with five saves and gave up one goal.

Sarah Fjeran (Duluth, Minn./Marshall School) and Liza Shelquist (Pine Island, Minn./Pine Island) accounted for the Yellowjackets' shots on goal in the match.

Up Next: The Yellowjackets (0-1-0, 0-0-0 U.M.A.C.) will be at home Sunday afternoon when they host Lakeland University in a non-conference match. Game time from the N.B.C. Spartan Sports Complex is set for 2:30 p.m.