The Red Raiders dominated play for 90 minutes and earned a big GPAC conference win against Dordt College Wednesday. The win keeps the Raiders (5-12, 4-7 GPAC) in the postseason race and puts the Defenders (7-10, 5-6 GPAC) within reach.

The first half started off well for the Raiders as they were able to generate a large amount of quality chances in the first 30 minutes. The capstone to the barrage was in the 29th minute when Cherish Shuka followed up a shot of Sarah Homan's after a keeper save and Shuka was able to tap home the rebound. 

The Raiders kept the pressure up in the first half and generated 8 shots while holding Dordt to only 1 shot.

The second half saw the Defenders have a bit more possession compared to the first half but the Raiders were still the more dangerous team throughout. 

Northwestern was able to generate another 9 shots but could not bury the game. The Defenders' best chance came in the second half after a NWC turnover where Dordt hit the crossbar on a long range effort. But Dordt could only find 2 more shots after that point.

"We played really well today," commented head coach Ben Karnish. "We were solid in the back and possessed the ball well all over the field which showed its benefits in many ways today. It was a great win for us and we still have a meaningful game going into the last regular season match." 

The Red Raiders are in a very tight playoff scenario with Dordt, College of Saint Mary, Dakota Wesleyan, and Presentation. There are too many scenarios to fully explain but if the Raiders win alongside a Dordt loss or a College of Saint Mary loss to end the season. 

The Raiders finish their season at Hastings College Saturday.