Box Score
Oct. 2, 2013 - As the Concordia-Chicago soccer team looks to position themselves to be a factor in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference race, they are making it known that Concordia Stadium is not an easy place to play if you are the visiting team. The Cougars posted their third shutout this afternoon in as many home matches, blanking the Inferno of Alverno College by a 4-0 score.
Alverno had two of their best chances come in the first four minutes of the game, but Concordia soon established control. In the seventh minute, the Cougars grabbed the lead on Alyssa Soulis' (Grayslake, IL/Grayslake North) eighth goal of the year. Soulis was sprung free on a beautiful thru pass from freshman Elizabeth Sanders (St. Louis, MO/Parkway South), and Soulis needed only to dribble past oncoming goalkeeper Samantha Robinson before slotting the ball into the empty net.
The Inferno defense withstood some more chances by the Cougars, but they could not prevent goal number two in the 32nd minute. Another thru ball set up the goal, this pass coming from Alex Wilson (Round Lake, IL/Grayslake Central). Alisha Johnson (Coal City, IL/H.S.) was on the receiving end and came unchecked down the middle of the pitch. Robinson got a hand on the shot but not enough to keep it from going in the net for Johnson's first collegiate goal and a 2-0 lead. The two-goal lead held up through the end of the half with Concordia holding a 9-7 edge in shots.
The second half was all Concordia as they outshot Alverno 11-0. Several of head coach Thomas Goines' young charges saw action and continued to create scoring chances. Freshman Ahissa Bustos (Island Lake, IL/Wauconda) set up goal number three in the 65th minute as she stole the ball from a defender deep in the zone and fired a hard shot from the left side. Robinson made a good save on the ball, but Soulis had position in front of another defender and knocked home the rebound for her second of the match and team-leading ninth of the season.
Concordia's final goal came on a pretty piece of teamwork. Soulis controlled the ball in the right corner and crossed it in front of the goal. Natalie Weinhold (St. Peters, MO/Lutheran St. Charles) got her head on the cross and flicked it towards the far post where Sanders was positioned. Sanders quickly settled the ball and kicked it high into the net for her second of the season to close out the scoring in the 74th minute.
Goalkeeper Callie Hasselbring (Houston, TX/Cypress Springs) made three saves in lowering her goals-against average to 0.98 over 829 minutes. "It's always nice to keep our net clean," said Goines of the Cougars' fourth shutout this season. "We have some good momentum which is nice to have as we approach a tough string of games beginning with Saturday. Our defense will have to stay resilient if we hope to get the result we want."
The Cougars (6-2-1, 2-2-0 NACC) will host Marian University on Saturday at 3:30 following Concordia's Homecoming football game.
