SUPERIOR, Wis. – Sunday was not an easy day for the Yellowjacket men's soccer team, and for the most part, it didn't have anything to do with the match on the field.
 
In August, incoming freshman Ryder Woodworth passed away just days before he was to move to Superior to begin his first season with the Yellowjackets. The loss has been profound on several levels for the men's soccer program, and Sunday, when the Yellowjackets hosted UW-Eau Claire, the match was dedicated to his memory.

The Yellowjackets started the match a man down, and after an opening play, the match was stopped and Woodworth's family who was in attendance, was recognized. The following statement was also read for the large crowd, before the Yellowjackets filled out their starting lineup and play resumed.
 
"Ryder was the example that every player who wears the Yellowjacket uniform should strive to become. He was confident and humble; a fierce, physical competitor and a driven, kind leader by example who cared deeply about his teammates and who always put his team and his family above all else. The No. 12 will live on with each year's team through a designated custodian of his number, chosen to carry on his legacy by embodying Ryder's values with the expectation that all Yellowjacket soccer players strive to follow his lead."
 
It was an emotional, difficult moment for the team and fans, and unfortunately, things didn't get easier as the day went on.

UW-Eau Claire scored twice in a span of 3:53 in the first half to build an early lead and defeat the Yellowjackets 3-1 on a hot and windy day at the NBC Spartan Sports Complex.
 
With the loss, the Yellowjackets fall to 2-4-0 overall, but are 2-0-0 in UMAC play, with the next four contests coming in conference play.
 
The early stages of the first half didn't provide much in the way of action, with the majority of play taking place in the middle of the field and along the boundaries. Defenses were tough, with neither team being able to generate much in the way of scoring chances.

That changed in the 32nd minute as the Blugolds broke the ice. Nathan Donovan opened the scoring, beating Yellowjacket goalkeeper Payton Anderson (Red Wing, Minn./Red Wing) down low to make it 1-0. Donovan struck again just a few minutes later, beating Anderson with a shot from the right side of the box that went to the lower left corner in the 36th minute to increase the margin to 2-0.
 
Eau Claire did a good job shutting down the Yellowjacket offense in the second half, and it increased its lead as well. Will Heinen scored into the lower right corner in the 63rd minute to make it a 3-0 match.
 
The Yellowjackets broke up the Eau Claire shutout with 8:17 to go in the match. Protus Babaya (Elk River, Minn./Elk River) started the play moving the ball upfield and Blake Perry (Anoka, Minn./Anoka) finished it, hammering a shot with the left foot into the lower left corner for his second goal of the year, making it 3-1. For Perry, it was the 41st goal of his career, putting him just two goals away from tying the school record set by Erik Watson in 2019.
 
Eau Claire attempted 11 shots in the match compared to seven for the Yellowjackets, and six of those attempts for the Yellowjackets came in the first half. Shots on goal favored the Blugolds 5-2.
 
Alex Paredes (Mequon, Wis./Homestead) started in goal for the Yellowjackets but left the game injured in the 26th minute, giving way to Anderson who made three saves in the match. He was tagged with the loss, and his record for the season is now 0-2-0.
 
Next up for the Yellowjackets is a match with Bethany Lutheran, the club the Yellowjackets defeated in UMAC title game last spring. The opening kick is set for 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24 at the NBC Spartan Sports Complex.