Box Score 1 Kearney, Neb. – The Rockhurst University Hawks scored two second half goals to spoil Nebraska-Kearney's home opener, 2-0, Friday evening at Kearney High School.
 
This was the first game of the inaugural UNK Fall Classic. In the late game, Sioux Falls and William Jewell (Mo.) fought to a 1-1 tie.
 
Facing the Hawks, from Kansas City and the Great Lakes Valley Conference, for the third time in school history, UNK had a couple of chances to score in the first half but couldn't find the back of the net.
 
Omaha sophomore keeper Ali Hirschman also kept RU at bay by stopping five shots over the first 45 minutes. In the 71st minute, after colliding with a Hawk, she was forced to leave the field. Kearney redshirt freshman Alli Prososki took her place.
 
Rockhurst scored the game winner in the 70th minute when senior Brandi Vollmer sent a nice pass to senior Erika Celoni, who headed the ball in from a few yards out.
 
Sixteen minutes later, Vollmer found an open Meghan Kilkenny and the senior banged one in from 25 yards out from the middle of the field. Senior keeper Ali Wallner made three saves to record the shut out win.
 
"That's not how we've been playing all preseason. We've been doing a lot of really good things, like getting forward, and we just didn't go out there and do them tonight," said Loper head coach John Maessner. "It's no fun to lose your home opener. It was tough to play against the wind in the first half but we didn't use it in the second half."
 
Loper veterans Shannon Duff (Ft. Collins, Colo.), Michaela Hoffman (Fruita, Colo.) and Emily Kosch (Columbus) all had shots on goal with Kosch one of four Lopers to go all 90 minutes. That group included true freshman Molly Willis (Kearney H.S.).
 
"In the first half we were able to do some good things and get after them. In the second half, it just didn't happen," said Maessner. "I just want to be ourselves on Sunday. We just have to find our identity we had in the preseason."
 
UNK plays WJC Sunday at 11:0 a.m. and then RU faces USF at 2:00 p.m. Both games will be at Ron & Carol Cope Stadium at Foster Field.