It felt good to get the win because it felt like I was honoring Lori,” Bell Skow said. “It was really special because I’ve been looking forward to this game for a while. I was excited to see my family and raise awareness for cancer.”

When River Falls junior Bell Skow found the top right corner of the net with her penalty kick that tied the game 1-1 at home against Superior on Tuesday night, she may have had a little help from above.

Skow’s goal midway through the second half propelled River Falls back into the game and eventually to a 2-1 victory. Tuesday evening was an important Big Rivers Conference game, but, more importantly, it was Kicking Cancer night.

The River Falls girls’ soccer team has made Kicking Cancer a long-time tradition. Typically, the program chooses one game per season to be cancer awareness night in honor of loved ones who have died from the disease.

On Tuesday evening, the program honored Lori Skow, Bell Skow’s aunt, godmother, and River Falls soccer superfan who died from ovarian cancer in Oct. 2022. She was just 48.

After the 2-1 win over Superior on Kicking Cancer night, Bell Skow, who had a game-changing goal in the second half, spoke about honoring her aunt Lori with a win and how special the evening was for her family.

“It felt good to get the win because it felt like I was honoring Lori,” Bell Skow said. “It was really special because I’ve been looking forward to this game for a while. I was excited to see my family and raise awareness for cancer.”

Although the game against Superior wasn’t as stress-free as the Wildcats had hoped, River Falls got the job done. Skow spoke about overcoming adversity, getting the win and knowing that her teammates had her back, especially on such an important night.

“The support today was awesome,” Bell Skow said. “I feel like we all have each other’s backs. Even if we’re hard on each other like today, we still end as a team. I’m happy we stuck together through it and my teammates had my back.”

When Bell began playing soccer as a child at River Falls, her aunt, Lori Skow, always found a place on the sideline to cheer for her favorite soccer player in the world. As Bell aged and got into high school, Lori remained a consistent sideline supporter.

Whether it’s an innate talent, her vast support system or a combination of the two, Bell Skow wasted no time becoming one of the program's elite players. She has started every varsity game since the beginning of her freshman year in 2021 and is one of two team captains this season.

River Falls head coach Charles Conley, who has coached Bell for nearly a decade, spoke about how committed Lori was to Bell’s athletic career and the girls’ soccer program.

“I’ve been coaching Bell since she was 11 and Lori came to pretty much every one of Bell’s games,” Conley said. “We’d be in Kansas City and she would be there. We’d go to Appleton and she would be there. Lori became our number one fan because of Bell.”

Lori Skow’s love for life was contagious, as she could always be found smiling on the River Falls soccer sidelines, especially when Bell was on the field. Whether it was donating her time to the program or financially supporting a fundraiser, Lori loved Lady Wildcats soccer.

She witnessed some of the best years in program history, two of which her niece Bell was a key contributor. River Falls finished the 2021 season 12-4-1, won a Division 2 regional championship and went to a sectional final.

The following season, Bell’s sophomore campaign, River Falls posted an 18-3-2 record, won its first Big Rivers Conference championship since 2013 and secured another Division 2 regional championship.

The 2022 season proved to be Lori’s last year cheering from the sidelines. Even as her condition worsened, Lori’s love for River Falls soccer remained resolute. Conley provided unique insight into Lori’s final days.

“When Lori passed away she was wearing her River Falls conference champs t-shirt and was wrapped in a Wildcat blanket,” Conley said. “She was Bell’s biggest fan. It’s just really sad.”

During the Kicking Cancer game at home against Superior, River Falls wore teal jerseys and socks, which is the color for ovarian cancer. After the game, Lori’s mother, Doreen, took a photo with the team and passed out Mei Mei’s cookies, which were Lori’s favorite treat in River Falls.

A couple of years ago, Lori made a scrapbook for Bell that included her favorite quote from USA soccer legend Mia Hamm, who won two Olympic gold medals with the national team. That quote was also on the front of the teal jerseys on Tuesday night and read as follows:

“Somewhere behind the athlete you’ve become and the hours of practice and the coaches who have pushed you is a little girl who fell in love with the game and never looked back…play for her.”

Although Lori is no longer on the sidelines physically, she is undoubtedly in Bell’s heart and will always be her biggest fan.