The Winona State University football team ran into two teams that were able to slow down its offense this season.

Both of those games resulted in losses, the Warriors’ only two of the season.

The first came in the third week of the season at South Dakota State.

The second one came Saturday, when Winona State lost to Grand Valley State University 16-13 in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs at Maxwell Field at Midwest Wireless Stadium.

“We couldn’t get out of the hole in the first quarter,” said WSU coach Tom Sawyer, whose team had a

25-game home winning streak snapped. “Our field position and punt exchange wasn’t very good, and they played on short field while we had the entire field to go.”

The Warriors’ average starting position was their own 24-yard line, including an average spot at the

17-yard line in the first quarter.

While Winona State was relegated to starting in the shadow of their own goal post, Grand Valley State was enjoying a short field almost every time out, starting at the Warriors’

49 in the first half.

One positive for Winona State in the first half was the defense.

Even with the short field the Lakers were regularly playing on, they managed just three field goals and took a 9-0 lead into the half.

“With the field we were giving them,

9-0 at the half was great,” Sawyer said. “Our defense played fantastic in that game. Grand Valley has a lot of good athletes. They don’t have much imagination on offense, but what they do, they do well.”

The second half went much better for the Warriors as they took a

13-9 lead on back-to-back touchdown possessions.

The first came on an 18-yard pass from Ryan Eversman to Chris Samp and the second was a 2-yard touchdown run by Alex Wiese, set up by a long pass from Eversman to Brian Hynes. Samp’s score gave him a touchdown catch in 19 straight games to end his college career.

“We couldn’t run the football in the first half,” Sawyer said. “In the second half we had to change the tempo of the offense, and that freed us up a little bit.”

Those two scores were as free as the Lakers let WSU get.

On the Lakers’ second possession after Wiese’s touchdown, quarterback Cullen Finnerty led his team down the field, scoring on a 9-yard touchdown scamper to put GVSU up 16-13.

On the Warriors’ three possessions after Wiese’s score, they lost seven yards on 10 plays as all three drives ended with punts.

Winona State moved the ball into GVSU territory on its final drive, which started at the Warriors’ 7-yard line after a punt by Grand Valley.

Eversman connected with Hynes for 45 yards, Samp for 11 more and then a hook-and-ladder with Jeff Ellestad and Dave Cruz got the Warriors to the 30-yard line.

Another short pass to Samp set up freshman kicker Eric Kraus for a

45-yard attempt to tie the game as time expired. Kraus’ previous long was 40 yards.

The snap and hold were good, but the kick was short and left.

Looking at next year, the Warriors have 18 returning starters, including the entire offensive line, linebacking corps and three of four defensive backs.

The schedule next year includes seven conference opponents, a trip to Truman State, a trip to Western New Mexico and a home game against perennial power North Dakota.

“I’m really excited about next year,” Sawyer said. “A year of maturity for our young guys will make a big difference, and we will get better and better.”