SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - After 83 minutes of scoreless soccer, William Jewell's Jade Gifford found the back of the net as the University of Illinois Springfield women's soccer team fell to the Cardinals, 1-0, on a rainy Sunday afternoon at Kiwanis Stadium.

In the 84th minute, the Cardinals won the ball near the goal and two passes later, Gifford slotted the ball home for the game-winning goal.

Junior goalkeeper Paige Polonus (Plainfield, Ill.) was busy from the first whistle as William Jewell shot early and often. Polonus was nearly perfect through 83 minutes, making a season-high 11 saves. The Prairie Stars finished with 15 shots to the Cardinals' 20.

UIS nearly went ahead in the 13th minute on the team's first shot of the day. In a footrace with the William Jewell goalie, freshman Alysa Manwill (St. Louis, Mo.) beat her to the ball but her shot was blocked by the keeper out of bounds.

Polonus kept the visitors off the scoreboard with six saves in the first half, including one as time expired in the half.

In the second period, the Prairie Stars consistently found space to shoot but struggled to put shots on target. Senior Falyn Lockenour (New Berlin, Ill.) tested the visiting keeper in the 67th minute but her shot was stopped.

Fellow senior Kim Tokarski (Hobart, Ind.) almost gave the hosts the lead in the 83rd minute with a shot from 12 yards out but William Jewell's Jordan Lewis made the save. UIS did not create another shot in the final six minutes of the game.

The Prairie Stars hit the road for their next three contests, traveling to Hannibal-LaGrange on Wednesday for a 4 p.m. game.