RIPON, Wis. -- The Ripon women's soccer program (4-7-5, 2-2-3 MWC) kept their Midwest Conference (MWC) tournament chances alive this Saturday, Oct 25, defeating the Beloit College Bucaneers (2-11-2, 1-5-1 MWC). Junior Jadyn Johnson (Seymour, Wis., Seymour Community HS) would score the game winner for the Red Hawks. 

The MWC match up proved slow developing for both sides, with each program finding difficulty in putting strong shots on target. Ripon would hold the visitors shotless across the first half, while firing off four attempts of their own, but see their only on-target try comfortably handled by the Buccaneer goalie. 

The second half saw Beloit earn four shot attempts, staying even with the Red Hawks as both teams jockeyed for the conference victory. A late yellow card on the visitors gave Ripon a free kick 20 yards out from the goal, and the Red Hawks would take advantage. Junior Alyssa Klementzos (Salem, Wis., Westosha Central HS) would play the kick into the box, where senior Cielo Gutierrez (Oshkosh, Wis., Valley Christian School) set up Johnson for the sole goal of the game in the 82nd minute. The goal would be the final shot of the game for either team, and Ripon would ride the late game success to a 1-0 win. 

The Red Hawks now sit in fifth place in MWC standings, with the top four teams making the postseason tournament. The Red Hawks currently hold 9 points in conference, while #4 Monmouth sits at 11. As wins are worth three points and ties are worth one, a Monmouth loss and a Ripon win would put the Red Hawks into postseason play as a four seed, while a Monmouth victory would keep the Red Hawks out.

The Red Hawks next play a non-conference game, going up against UW-Stevens Point at home on Oct 29. The Pointers enter the game 6-4-8 this season, coming off a 1-1 tie to UW-Platteville.