ROCKFORD, Ill. –
Malaya Sperber (
Jr.-Cedar Grove, Wis.) and
Taytum Theobald (
Sr.-Howards Grove, Wis.) combined for seven goals,
Mikayla Belasco (
Sr.-Muskegon, Mich.) tied a school single-match record for assists and the Lakeland University women's soccer team blanked Rockford University 9-0 Saturday at Sam Greeley Field.
Sperber scored four goals and Theobald added three more, with Sperber posting her third collegiate hat trick and Theobald her first. Belasco also finished with five assists, tying a Lakeland record for assists in a game also tied earlier this year by Sperber against Alverno Sept. 9 and before this season also held by Meghan Wudtke (2000) and Amanda Smith (2003).
The Muskies scored six times in the game's first 25 minutes and went on to win for the third time in six matches. Lakeland is now 4-9 overall and 3-5 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference and has matched its overall win total from the last two seasons combined.
The Muskies needed just two minutes and 26 seconds to get on the board in the match, when Belasco fed a ball up the middle through traffic to Sperber, who split two defenders and dribbled into a one-on-one before beating Rockford starting goalkeeper Lily Rose inside the right post for a 1-0 lead. Sperber would score Lakeland's second goal as well, with
Elizabeth Brown (
Jr.-Seymour, Wis.) and Belasco both assisting for a 2-0 lead just 8:18 into the match.
Theobald got on the board just over a minute later, this time with Sperber assisting to make it 3-0 at 9:26 of the match, and both would be part of three goals in a stretch of less than five minutes later in the half. Belasco assisted again as Sperber tallied her third in the 20th minute, and Theobald scored her second of the match at 24:05. Between those two scores, Brown was involved again with the assist as senior
Madie Linka (
Somerset, Wis.) scored in the 21st minute for her second goal of the season.
Lakeland took the 6-0 lead into halftime and then exploded for three more goals in a span of just 2:28 early in the second half. Sperber scored her fourth of the match in the 57th minute with another Belasco assist, and then Belasco and Sperber both assisted as Theobald completed her hat trick in the 58th minute. The Muskies tacked on one more goal just over a minute later, as
Ashlyn Jimenez (
So.-Crown Point, Ind.) from the defensive back line sent a pass up ahead on the right to Belasco, who fired a bending shot from 30 yards out that beat Regents reserve goalkeeper Karina Zamarripa for what would be the match's final goal.
Lakeland finished outshooting Rockford 21-8, including a 13-2 edge in shots on goal.
Ingrid Steinbock (
Jr.-Sheboygan, Wis.) made two saves to earn her third shutout of the season.
Sperber now has 10 goals and seven assists on the season for 27 points. She is now tied for the lead in the NACC in goals and ranks second in the conference in assists and points. Sperber also is up to 22 goals and nine assists for 53 points in her Muskies career, moving her into 11th on Lakeland's career list in points and tied with Hulya Erden (1999) for 11th in career goals.
The Muskies are on the road for their next match Wednesday against Milwaukee School of Engineering at 7 p.m. in Milwaukee.
