VERMILLION, S.D.—South Dakota scored four second-half goals in a comeback 4-2 win over Western Illinois on Sunday afternoon. It was the final game at the USD Soccer Complex.
 
The Coyotes (7-11-0, 4-3-0 Summit League) remain fourth in Summit League standings with 12 points and one game remaining.
 
Denver, currently fifth in the standings with nine points and two games remaining, is the only team that could surpass South Dakota in the league standings. The Coyotes won the head-to-head matchup 4-1 earlier in the season. The top four teams advance to the league tournament.
 
The Leathernecks (2-13-0, 1-5-0 Summit League) used the wind to their advantage in the first half, putting two into the back of the net early. In the 11th minute, Kayla Kirkwood passed to Gina Scaffidi in the middle of the field. Scaffidi fired it up and over Coyote sophomore goalkeeper Sydney Hardin's hands.
 
After a Leatherneck corner in the 32nd minute went long to the far side of the field, Kirkwood collected the ball, carried it into the box, beat her defender and scored a narrow goal. Kirkwood's goal put the Leathernecks up by two headed into the half.
 
In the 55th minute, senior Taylor Nivala sent a corner kick to the far post where junior Corey Strang was waiting to tap it across the goal line.
 
Strang went on the attack again in the 78th minute, beating her defender on the through ball. Leatherneck goalkeeper Victoria Kappel came out of the net and slide tackled Strang inside the box, resulting in a yellow card and a penalty kick. Strang fired the penalty kick hard down the middle and into the net as Kappel jumped to her left.
 
Two minutes later, the Coyotes found themselves with another corner kick in Western Illinois territory. The Leathernecks attempted to clear it, deflecting a kick by sophomore Katlin Ptacek. Senior Kasha Meyer trapped the rebound at the top of the box and sent it to the left side of the net for the game-winner. It was Meyer's second career goal and second game-winner in as many games.
 
South Dakota added on a security goal two minutes later. Sophomore Katelyn Floysand took a free kick from 40-yards out, placing the ball into the box where freshman Sammie Villwock put a touch on it into the back of the net.
 
Western Illinois put seven of its eight shots on-target. Two goals were allowed, but Hardin pulled down four saves and Ptacek deflected another away from the net.
 
The wind played a major factor in shots taken for both teams. With the wind in the first half, the Leathernecks outshot the Coyotes 5-2. The situation reversed in the second half, with the Coyotes leading in shots taken 8-3 with the wind at their backs. South Dakota outshot Western Illinois 10-8.
 
South Dakota travels to Fort Wayne, Ind., for the final game of the regular season. The Coyotes play the Mastodons at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1.