Women’s Soccer Drops Hard-Fought Matchup With Marian University

It was a pleasantly cool evening on Friday, Sep. 25 at Strong Stadium, where Buccaneers women’s soccer took on the Marian University Sabres for one of their final non-conference matchups of the 2026 season. The game was close and evenly-matched in front of a crowd that included families of the players, members of the men’s soccer team before their Friday practice, and supporters from both men’s and women’s hockey teams. Beloit student game day event workers rounded out the scene, capturing photographs of the game and maintaining the video livestream of the event. 

The first half was characterized by defensive play on both sides of the field. Beloit managed to head off five shots during the first 45 minutes, with two shots being saved directly by goalkeeper Sophia Dietz’29. Both teams struggled with offsides calls and penalties throughout the game, with both the Bucs and the Sabres committing four fouls each in the first half alone. The second half was largely the same, although Marian’s deeper bench allowed more substitutions and fresher legs in later minutes of the game. The Sabres’ only goal, in the 65th minute of the game, came from a midfielder who first entered the game at the start of the second half.  

Ultimately, the Bucs suffered from a streak of bad luck in this game; the team managed to put five shots directly on target, including two strong attempts from Fianne Makela’29. Unfortunately, none of those shots found the back of the net. 

Still, even if the scoreboard didn’t reflect it, there is plenty for this Bucs team to celebrate from this matchup. The team benefited from strong leadership and communication by Dietz, who kept the team in the game with six stellar saves on target and plenty of encouragement from the defensive end of the field. The team’s first-year class also continues to shine, with midfielders Maggie Wood’30 and Alejandra Martinez-Bates’30 and forward Grace Ramel’30 showcasing impressive ball control, grit, and determination throughout the game. 

The Bucs will continue Midwest Conference play this Saturday, Oct. 3, at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa. 

Featured image: Kayla Wolf