MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee women's soccer team overcame a pair of one-goal deficits but it was Minnesota that was able to escape with a 3-2 victory in the opening match of the "Challenge Cup" Thursday night at Engelmann Stadium.
 
"That was our best performance so far," head coach Kevin Boyd said of the early-season games. "We battled the entire time; we looked more like us. The problem is that we keep giving up bad chances and it's leading to goals. And when you play against good teams – and we are doing that right now – they will punish you every time and that is what is happening. So until we fix some of these little mistakes that keep reoccurring, that we are addressing in training, we are going to keep giving up dumb little goals.
 
The Panthers (0-4) tied the match in the 59^th and 78^th minutes of the back-and-forth affair, only to see Khyah Harper score her third goal of the night in the 80^th minute to help the visitors pull out the late victory.
 
"But that was our best performance," Boyd said. "We were intense, our effort was great, the battle was great, we put them under pressure, we were aggressive in all of the things that we are trying to do … we just have to figure out these little things and stop making so damn many little mistakes and we will be a better team."
 
Down 1-0 at the half, Milwaukee came out on the front foot in the second half and found an equalizer through a penalty kick. Lainey Higgins was fouled in the corner of the box and stepped to the spot immediately after, burying the chance to make it 1-1 at the 58:28 mark.
 
The MKE offense kept up the pressure and nearly scored again off a corner kick in the 64^th minute, started by Senya Meurer. She played out wide to Elizabeth Reece, finding Kayla Rollins in front. The chance was close but the header went just high.
 
Harper, who came into the game off a hat trick in her previous contest, then put the visitors back ahead after breaking through the back line to make it 2-1 at the 67:01 mark for her sixth of the young season.
 
The Panthers didn't panic, and again found an answer – this time from Meurer. After a ball in the box was cleared to her feet, she sent a blast from about 25 yards out into the top left of the goal for her first of the season at the 77:45 mark.
 
The momentum didn't hold, however, as just 1:46 later it was Harper again, burying a lead pass for the eventual game winner in the 80^th minute.
 
Milwaukee had some pressure late, seeing Ellie Rebmann force a save in the 89^th minute, but was unable to break through for a third time.
 
For the game, Minnesota earned advantages of 21-8 in shots, but eked out just a slim 6-5 advantage in shots on goal. The Gophers also had six of the seven corner kicks and did earn 53 percent of possession overall. Higgins led the home side with a pair of shot attempts. In goal, Parker Donahugh was credited with three saves.
 
Up next, the Panthers close out the "Challenge Cup" hosting UIC Sunday, set to start at 6 p.m. The Flames fell, 1-0, to Marquette in their opening game of the event Thursday evening on a goal in the 88^th minute.