Women’s soccer sunk in NCAA Tournament

WAVERLY, Iowa – The 2019 journey came to an end for the Falcons on Saturday night at Wartburg. The Knights protected home field with a 4-0 victory.

It's been an honor to coach such a great group of people," said head coach Ryan Middendorf. "The result of one match should not take away from the tremendous season this team had.  I wish Ashley and Abby the absolute best as they move on from this team. I am so proud to have been their coach over the past seasons. I hope they recognize the remarkably positive impact they have had on this program. They have left the program in a much better spot than when they came in. This young team has a lot to be proud of and I know they are excited for the future."

Wartburg scored all four goals in the first half.

Junior Kaeley Sterkel (Dana Point, Calif.) secured five saves on Saturday night.

The Falcons did not fold and attacked the net for the full 90 minutes. Junior Allison McElwee (Laramie, Wyo.) rang a shot off the cross bar in the second half.

Freshman Karoline Haugland (Bergen, Norway) led CUW with three shots on goal.

Saturday marked the final match for the CUW senior class in Ashley Yacks (Whittier, Calif.) and Abby Blok (Oostburg, Wis.), who both helped anchor CUW's defense in this historic run.

The Falcons soared to new heights in 2019; the 17-5-0 record is the most victories in program history in a single season.

The Blue and White also claimed their first-ever NACC Tournament title with victories over Illinois Tech and Dominican.

CUW will look to build off the success of 2019 towards an even stronger 2020.