Sept. 10, 2011 - The Concordia women's soccer team improved to 2-1 on the season this afternoon. Three second-half goals broke open a close game and gave the Cougars a 5-1 win over host Blackburn College in downstate Carlinville.
The Cougars outshot the Beavers 15-3 in the first half, but it took until the 30th minute for the game's opening goal. Abby Jest (Milwaukee, WI/Milwaukee Lutheran) notcehd her first career goal in college play off a pass by Alyssa Soulis (Grayslake, IL/Grayslake North). Soulis then made the score 2-0 in the 42nd minute with an unassisted tally.
Blackburn cut the lead in half just two minutes in the second half as Alanis Richie found the net on a free kick. But Haley Graner (Waukesha, WI/Waukesha West) and Stephanie Rivas (Elmhurst, NY/Arts & Business) teamed up to get that goal back in the 57th minute, Graner recording her first.
Soulis added her second goal of the match, third of the year on an unassisted strike in the 67th minute. Kristi Rodriguez (West Chicago, IL/St. Charles East) closed out the scoring in the 85th minute with Samantha Wolf (Lake in the Hills, IL/Crystal South) earning the assist.
Callie Hasselbring (Houston, TX/Cypress Ridge) earned the win in net, making just one save in 77 minutes. Sarah Ann Evers (Napoleon, OH/H.S.) played the final 13 minutes, making one save. Three Blackburn keepers combined for five saves as Concordia finished with a 25-5 edge in shots.
The Cougars will hit the road again on Tuesday as they play at Knox College in Galesburg.
