The Lakeland College women's soccer team claimed an 8-0 shutout victory over Northern Athletics Conference opponent Alverno College on Saturday, Oct. 13, at Lakeland to improve its conference record to 5-3 with their third straight win.
The Muskies (6-9 overall) came out firing in the first half, going up 3-0 within the first 20 minutes of play. Senior midfielder Lola Engel tallied two of those goals, while senior defender Elisa Waltz scored the remaining first half goal on an assist by sophomore midfielder Jessica Hopfinger.
"We have been playing a lot more confident and working together as a team," Engel said. "The last couple games we have been able to get a few wins, and people on the team are starting to find the back of the net. We were using our center mids a lot more today, so that's what got us a lot of goals."
Lakeland continued to dominate on offense in the second half, firing14 shots at Alverno's back line in the half alone. Five of those shots found the back of the net, as freshman forward Maria Santelli knocked in the first two goals of the half on assists from junior defender Maggie Short and senior defender Kelly Hopfinger, while senior midfielder Tracy Bins, Jessica Hopfinger and sophomore forward Gina Weiss rounded out the scoring.
"I think we played better in the second half than we did in the first because we were working to open spaces up and keep the flow of play going and kept pushing," said head coach Dave Madsen. "We always had two or three people on the ball actively looking to give an option to create space."
The Muskies have increased their offensive output in recent weeks, which should give the squad a boost heading into the remainder of the season.
"Getting the win over MSOE on Wednesday was a good step, and I think we continued to build our confidence today with the win," Madsen said. "The girls are continuing to work hard, and they are showing that they are very hungry right now. We aren't satisfied with where we are at, which is good now that we are approaching the tail end of the season."
Lakeland will look to build on that confidence as they continue NAC play with Maranatha Baptist on Tuesday, Oct. 16.
"Maranatha always plays hard and is well-organized, so we have to come out and look to break them down," Madsen said. "I know their field is a little bit smaller, so it will create some challenges, but I think right now we are taking on challenges well and doing a great job of concentrating. Hopefully we will continue to do that."
Game time with the Crusaders is set for 3:30 p.m. in Watertown, Wis.
