Kearney. Neb. – Junior Hanna Schimmer scored twice but Black Hills State countered to tie Nebraska Kearney, 2-2, Sunday afternoon at Ron & Carol Cope Stadium.
The Lopers finish non-conference play with a 4-0-2 mark. They head to Pittsburg State (4-2-0), a first-year program, next Friday afternoon and then visit Missouri Southern (1-3-2) on Sunday. In today’s early game, 20th-ranked Washburn and Western Colorado fought to a scoreless tie.
This marks the third straight game a Loper has scored two goals. Freshman Daniella Iaquinta (Aurora, Colo.) did it last Sunday, junior Gracie Perez (Kearney H.S.) followed on Friday and then it was Schimmer’s turn. She becomes the 11th player in school history to have two goals in a game; UNK is still waiting for its first hat trick.
“Hanna is starting to feel it. She’s a little more confident in herself. Got that weight off her back with that first goal (at UNK) on Friday,” said Loper head coach Rob Breton.
Schimmer (Council Bluffs, Ia.) made it 1-0 about 15 minutes into the action when she split two Yellow Jacket defenders along the right wing. She then got past another defender and scored from about 15 yards out. It was close to the same spot she scored from in Friday’s win over Western Colorado. In the 65th minute, after a handball in the box, she converted a penalty kick by going low and to the right. Down the stretch, Schimmer had two more chances to score, but each effort went just wide of the Yellow Jacket goal.
“She was calm, composed on the PK, put the ball on the ground and didn’t try to blast it anywhere,” said Breton. “Had two great opportunities to finish the game off and end with four goals. We just have to be clinical in those moments.”
BHSU tied things up at one in the 33rd minute when senior Paige Hill converted a rebound after keeper Susan Bovaird (Lincoln NE) came out to meet another Yellow Jacket. With 12 minutes left, Hill saw her “flip throw” go high, bounce in front of the Loper goal with junior Anacel Valezuela-Acosta having a header for BHSU’s second goal of the season.
“It’s just growing pains. It’s learning some things and adapting how the game goes, what works and what doesn’t work,” said Breton. “People panic in moments because something happens one time and now all of a sudden you want to do something different than what our game plan was.”
Schimmer had a team-best six shots with senior Ivana Siles (Bolivia) at four and junior Mia Lang (Papillon) at three. UNK outshot BHSU by a 15-6 margin and took seven of the eight corners in the contest.
“We’re super happy to be undefeated six games into the season,” said Breton. “Today was a reminder of what it’s like to play against a team that’ll scrap against you. I’d rather have it happen this way rather than in conference.”
Loper soccer ties at home
