Offensive performance gives Sander first win

INDIANOLA, Iowa - Katherine Bird (Iowa City, Iowa) scored a goal and assisted on another and first-year head coach Ryan Sander broke into the win column as Simpson beat UW-River Falls 3-1 on Saturday evening.

The Storm (1-1-0) put 8 of 12 shots on goal and looked like a different team than the one that dropped a 2-0 decision against Nebraska Wesleyan on Wednesday.

Against the Prairie Wolves, Simpson found itself on its heels for most of the game. NWU out-shot Simpson 17-8, compromising the Storm attack. On Saturday, Simpson held a 12-10 advantage in shots as goalkeeper Megan Peterson saw only three shots on goal in her first win of the season.

Taylor Hallgren (DeKalb, Ill.) tallied the Storm's first goal of the season, one-timing a Corie Petersen (Lakeville, Minn.) cross from five yards out in the sixth minute.

Bird converted the game-winner with under 10 minutes to go in the first half when she hammered a shot into the top right net from the far right wing. In the second half, Bird found room on the left wing and placed a cross for Nicole Dillenburg's (Urbandale, Iowa) one-timer in the box.

Janae Baron scored the lone goal for the Falcons (1-1-0), who defeated the Storm in 2009.

Simpson returns to action on Labor Day when it takes on Millikin at 1 p.m. Sept. 6.