Lakeland is looking for its first win over Augustana in a series that dates back to the Muskies' first year playing the sport in 1993. The teams are meeting for the third time in four years, and the Vikings won the last meeting almost exactly two years ago on Sept. 14, 2024 at Taylor Field by a 2-0 score. Carson Kekelik and Liesl Whitener scored goals for Augustana while
Ingrid Steinbock made nine saves in goal for Lakeland. The teams first met on Halloween night in 1993, with the Vikings also picking up a 4-0 victory that wrapped up the Muskies' first season.
Lakeland last time out: Defeated Alverno 10-1 Wednesday
The Muskies piled up the goals and tied some records in a blowout of Alverno for their first win of the season.
Malaya Sperber scored three goals and also recorded five assists, tying the Lakeland and also Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference single-match records for assists. Sperber tied a record set by Meghan Wudtke in 2000 and tied by Amanda Smith in 2003.
Lia Armstrong also scored three goals for her first collegiate hat trick, and
Ines Rodriguez,
Taytum Theobald,
Mikayla Belasco and
Madie Linka all scored goals, including Linka her first collegiate goal. The win was the first for first-year Lakeland head coach
Alexander Pagonis, and the 10 goals the Muskies' most in a game in four years.
Augustana last time out: Lost at Lawrence 1-0 yesterday
The Vikings are playing for the second straight day and are coming off a narrow loss to Lawrence's Vikings last night. A scoreless game almost the entire way, Ava Elders scored the game's lone goal for the hosts with 1:56 left in the match to hand Augustana its first loss of the season. Sara Schinker made three saves in goal for Augustana, which is a member of the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin. The Vikings also have ties against UW-Platteville and Lakeland's NACC rival Marian and posted a 6-1 victory over Buena Vista for their lone win of the season. Augustana is coached by Scott Mejia, who has history with the Muskies-he was head coach of Lakeland's men's and women's soccer teams in 1999 and 2000 before going to the Rock Island, Ill., school, where he has been ever since.
