Hays’ penalty kick beats Wartburg, clinches No. 2 seed in league playoffs

WAVERLY, Iowa – A successful penalty kick by Maddie Hays paired with a shutout performance by Braelyn Thomas led the Simpson College women's soccer team to 1-0 victory over Wartburg on the road.

With the win, the Storm (12-1-3, 6-1 A-R-C) secured a first round bye as the No. 2 seed in the upcoming American Rivers Conference Tournament. With a Storm win over Coe and a Loras loss to Central on Tuesday, Simpson would win a share of the A-R-C regular season title with the Duhawks.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Simpson came out strong, applying pressure on the Knights (8-6-3, 4-2-1 A-R-C) early in the match with 10 shots in the first 30 minutes. Six of those attempts were saved, while three were blocked.
• With just over six minutes left in the first period, Hailey Kowzan drew a foul in the box that led to Maddie Hays' fifth made penalty kick of the season and a 1-0 lead for the Storm.
• The Knights had a chance to equalize midway through the second half with their own penalty kick, but Lauren Kirkle's attempt struck the crossbar. Ali Vohsman quickly reacted to block a follow-up shot from Nikayla Youngblut, keeping the home team scoreless.
• Braelyn Thomas made a pair of saves over the next few minutes, but the Storm backline held Wartburg at bay the rest of the way, surrendering just one corner kick opportunity in the final 25 minutes.

NOTES

• Maddie Hays is now 14-for-17 in career penalty kicks, including 5-for-6 this season. Her five makes match her career high from 2021.
• Braelyn Thomas earns the first solo shutout of her career, while the Storm defense secures their eighth of the year.
• Simpson earns the No. 2 seed in the A-R-C Tournament for the second year in a row.
• This is the Storm's third straight win in the series and first shutout against the Knights since 2009.
• Simpson is just the fourth team, and only A-R-C squad, to hold Wartburg scoreless this season.
• Simpson has outscored opponents 51-12 this year, including 28-3 in October. This is the program's third straight season surpassing 50 goals.  

UP NEXT
The Storm will play one last regular season contest against Coe on Tuesday night at 5 p.m.