Pride fall short in chaotic finish against Yellowjackets
DUBUQUE, Iowa - On the coldest and windiest game conditions of the 2025 season, the Clarke University women's soccer team dropped their Tuesday night home matchup against Graceland University at Burrows Field by a final score of 2-1.
All three goals in the game were scored in the final five minutes of regulation with Pride freshman Liv Turnquist notching her first collegiate goal to make it a 1-0 game just into the 86th minute after the second ball off of a corner kick got to the feet of Hailey Packer, who lofted a ball towards GU goalkeeper Maggie Peterson, who couldn't collect it cleanly for Turnquist to jump and deflect the ball with her mid-section past Peterson for the goal.
That goal felt like the breakthrough in a game that went 85 minutes without a score despite 35 shots being taken over that span, but not long after that goal was scored, CU was called for a foul in their own defensive box, awarding the Yellowjackets a penalty kick two minutes and 30 seconds after the Pride goal with 2:30 left on the clock.
Sierra Flores of Graceland would step to the penalty spot and beat Clarke goalie Abigail Turley inside of the right post, despite Turley diving in the correct direction, as the shot was placed nearly perfectly to slide beyond the outstretched hands of the CU freshman keeper.
About a minute following that goal, the Yellowjackets would get a turnover in their offensive third where Tessa Cook fed Chloe Montera alone behind the Pride defense to be one-on-one with Turley, make a dribble move around Turley and score her ninth goal of the season into the open net, giving Graceland a late lead to seal the game away.
With just two games remaining, the Pride remain in eighth place in the Heart standings, one point behind Missouri Baptist University and two points ahead of Graceland, with their remaining games coming against Baker University and Culver-Stockton College two other teams also looking to chance down CU for that final Heart Tournament spot.
Clarke women's soccer will take their final road trip of the regular season when they go to Baldwin City, Kan. to face Baker for a scheduled 1:00 p.m. CT kickoff between the Pride and Wildcats on Saturday, Oct. 25.