Box Score Oct. 12, 2014 - Faced with a key stretch of Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference games over the next few weeks, the Concordia-Chicago women's soccer team got off to a good start this afternoon by stifling the Lakeland College Muskies 5-0 on CUC's Senior Day.
"It was important for us to come out and establish ourselves early in this game, and we did," said CUC head coach
Thomas Goines. "We want to emphasize playing soccer the right way. Playing to feet and possessing the ball are important to our identity as a soccer team and the girls did those things today as we prepare for the stretch run in conference."
The Cougars established their dominance quickly as a corner kick in the fifth minute bounced around near the penalty spot and was alertly finished by
Natalie Weinhold (St. Peters, MO/Lutheran St. Charles). Concordia-Chicago continued to dominate possession evidenced by corner kicks (8-2) and shots (30-1). In the 11
th minute,
Alisha Johnson (Coal City, IL/Coal City) scored the second goal of the game with an assist to
Allison Kruk (Elgin, IL/St Edward) in front of goal.
In the 55
th minute, another corner kick by
Kaely Fitterling (Pattonville, MO/H.S.) resulted in a great header by
Elizabeth Sanders (St. Louis, MO/Parkway South) that was deflected to Weinhold for her second goal of the game and a 3-0 lead.
The fourth goal of the game may have come off of one of the best passing sequences of the year. The Cougars worked the ball around the back and up the right side of the field. The ball was played across the middle where
Hillary Campbell (Dyer, IN/Lake Central) found
Stephanie Brown (Streamwood, IL/Streamwood) making a run from the left back position. Brown cut inside the defense and finished far post from the shot pocket on the left side. It was a finish worthy of capping a great spell of team possession and ball movement.
Sarah LaCost (Mount Prospect, IL/Prospect) closed out the scoring in the 84th minute. LaCost made a run down the right side of the field and buried it for the final margin.
With a minute left to play, goalkeeper
Ally Krajnak (Griffith, IN/Griffith) made the lone save of the game to preserve a shutout in a game in which all three active goalkeepers played.
Prior to the match, the team celebrated its five seniors -
Elise Bicek (Mokena, IL/Lincoln-Way East),
Haley Graner (Waukesha, WI/Waukesha West),
Callie Hasselbring (Houston, TX/Cypress Ridge),
Annie Rockert (Herscher, IL/H.S.) and manager
Cassie Sarokin (Green Bay, WI/NEW Lutheran). All were recognized and thanked for their contriir contributions to building the CUC women's soccer program.
The Cougars next match is at home on Tuesday at 3:00. They will face Benedictine University in a rivalry game and an important NACC showdown.
