By Nick Gerhardt
Northfield hung on to claim a thrilling 1-0 victory over Rochester John Marshall Thursday at Memorial Field in Northfield.
The Raiders (3-5, 1-3 Big 9) picked up their first conference win of the season behind a free kick goal from senior defender Kate Hubers from about 30 yards out in the fifth minute of play against the Rockets.
Both teams had quality chances in the first half and a move from Northfield head coach Blake Kane to put senior Olivia Rasmussen to defense helped stymie the Rockets the rest of the game.
Rochester John Marshall (1-3-1, 1-3-1 Big 9) had several chances in the second half and held possession in the Raiders’ defensive third of the field. Sophomore goalkeeper Linnea Wilhelm turned away scoring opportunities while the rest of the defense stood strong against several second-half free kicks and corner kicks.
Northfield defeated Kasson-Mantorville 3-2 Monday and has won two of its last three games since starting the season with a 1-4 record. The Raiders fell 5-1 to Mankato West on Tuesday in Mankato. Northfield faces Class A No. 10-ranked Rochester Lourdes (1-1-3, 0-1-1 Hiawatha Valley League) Monday at Northfield High School.
