Box Score

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Lily Jilk's penalty-kick goal in the 61st minute proved to be the difference as Macalester opened Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play with a 2-1 win over St. Thomas.

Jilk's goal came as the result of Kara Komoto taking advantage of a mismatch on the left side.

Just under five minutes before the goal, Komoto used her speed in an attempt to get past Tommie defender Victoria Vargas, who knocked the Scots forward to the ground and was given a yellow card at 55 minutes, 50 seconds.

The next time Komoto got the ball on the left, she turned into the box and used her speed to get past Vargas, who pulled her down from behind to earn the penalty kick.

Jilk then stepped to the penalty spot and subsequently went to the right side of the goal, tucking the ball under a diving Tarynn Theilig.

Brielle Bierman had given St. Thomas a 1-0 lead in the 15th minute when she took a pass from Haley Engel, settled the ball and turned and fired from 10 yards out for her second goal of the season.

Eight minutes later, Macalester tied the score when Hannah Walker's pass from the right side went across the goal mouth and past two of her teammates but, with Theilig down after diving to stop the ball, Bonnie Gale collected the pass on the left side and calmly knocked home her third goal of the season from 10 yards.

Despite having a 17-8 advantage in shots, the Tommies trailed, 6-4, in shots on goal. The visitors also had a 6-1 advantage in corner kicks but were unable to parlay the statisical advantages into a win.

Meanwhile, the Scots avenged a 2-1 double-overtime loss to the Tommies in last season's conference opener, giving up the winning goal with 1:28 to play in the final overtime period.

Macalester will take a 3-2-0 record into Saturday's MIAC game at Hamline, which is slated for a 1 p.m.