By Nick Gerhardt
Northfield put together its best game of the season Tuesday against Rochester Mayo to come away with a 2-2 draw at Memorial Field at Northfield High School.
Joey Hudson interviewing Raiders head coach Blake Kane
The Raiders (0-3-2, 0-1-1 Big 9) scored their first goals and ample opportunities to score more. Olivia Rasmussen scored both goals for Northfield — one in the first half and one in the second half.
Joey Hudson interviewing Mayo head coach Andre Bailey
Rasmussen’s second goal lifted the Raiders to a 2-1 lead in the 43rd minute when she had a brilliant finish from near the 6-yard box that found the upper right corner of the goal with a defender draped on her left hip.
Rasmussen gives the Raiders a 2-1 lead
The lead lasted 10 minutes though and the Spartans’ Jenny Reyna found herself alone near the top of the 18-yard box where she struck a shot that found the back of the net to pull Rochester Mayo even with Northfield.
The Spartans grabbed a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute when Dempsey Nessler fired a shot from the upper right corner of the 18-yard box sent to the back post side for a goal.
Rasmussen drew the Raiders level a minute later after she beat the Rochester Mayo goalkeeper and a defender for an easy finish into the back of the net.
Olivia Rasmussen scores the Raiders first goal of the year
In an exciting back-and-forth game, both teams found quality scoring chances but couldn’t finish them. Northfield’s Shani Gjerdingen hit the upper left corner post in the 30th minute and five minutes later Anni Quaas had a breakaway where her shot went wide right.
The second half saw the Raiders threaten several times but couldn’t connect on shots to open nets.
Ninth-grader goalkeeper Linnea Wilhelm played fantastic for Northfield in relief of senior starter Gracie Freyberg after Freyberg suffered an ankle injury in the fourth minute. Wilhelm showed poise and made several big stops by coming off her line at the right time.
The Raiders face Rochester Century Thursday in Rochester.