BROOKINGS, S.D. — South Dakota State scored five goals and held Western Illinois to just one shot on goal in a 5-0 victory on Thursday, Aug. 27, at Fishback Soccer Park.
SDSU took a few minutes to find its footing. The Jackrabbits put together two shots in the fifth minute, then didn’t get their third shot until the 17th minute. That shot found the back of the net as a Hannah Langstaff corner kick led to a header by Katelyn Beulke to put the home side up 1-0.
South Dakota State nearly watched its lead turn into a tie score in the 31st minute. The Leathernecks’ lone shot on goal of the game by Abigail Schilling was saved by Leah Bacon as the sophomore goalkeeper kept the 1-0 margin intact.
The Jacks extended the lead to 2-0 before the end of the half. The 39th minute saw Xehlia Salanoa sneak a shot past the WIU keeper. She was assisted on the strike by Deizha Lyn Jacinto and Emily Krings.
SDSU got two shots off in the opening minutes of the second half before striking again. Hannah Langstaff started a run that led to Mia Bosch sending a crossing pass into the box. Her ball landed in front of Jenna Maloy who smashed a shot off the inside part of the cross bar to give the Jacks a 3-0 edge in the 55th minute.
The Jackrabbits added two more goals to their tally late in the second half. Krings scored her first-career goal in the 83rd minute on assists by Brianna Finnegan and Peyton Held. The 87th minute featured Finnegan scoring a goal as she struck a shot past the Leatherneck keeper with the play starting on an assist by MaKynlie Cade.
SDSU finished the match with a 17-2 edge in shots and 10-1 advantage in shots on goal. Maloy had a team-high four shots with three on goal. She was followed in shots by Krings (3), Bosch (2) and Finnegan (2). Langstaff had a team-high two of the Jackrabbits’ eight assists.
Twenty-three different Jackrabbits saw the pitch on Thursday. Gentry Williams played a team-high 73 minutes. Cade and Abbi Gibbs each appeared for a reserve-high 39 minutes.
South Dakota State closed out the 5-0 win to improve to 4-1 overall this season. Western Illinois fell to 0-5.
NOTES
- SDSU improved to 19-1-1 all-time against Western Illinois. The Jackrabbits have now won 15 straight matches against the Leathernecks. The five-goal margin of victory is the largest for South Dakota State in the series against WIU.
- Maloy scored her team-leading fourth goal of the season. She’s tied with Mia Bosch for a team-best eight points. Bosch has improved her team-leading assist total to four on the year.
- Beulke and Finnegan both saw their point totals improve with goals on Thursday. The two are tied for the third highest point outputs on the squad with seven apiece, while Langstaff is tied with them as well.
- Salanoa scored her first goal since the 2024 season. She sat out the entire 2025 campaign due to injury. Krings’s goal and assists served as the first points of her college career.
UP NEXT
South Dakota State returns to Brookings for its next three matches. The Jackrabbits will first host Western Illinois at Fishback Soccer Park on Thursday at 7 p.m.