Women’s soccer scores 14 goals over a great weekend

Andrew King

The Lawrence University women’s soccer team finished an incredible weekend of non-conference play with a total of 14 goals scored in two matches.
The Lady Vikings were very effective in taming the Lions of Finlandia University. The Vikings first scored in the ninth minute when junior Sarah Ehlinger slotted a nice ball to sophomore Mallory Koula, who netted her fifth goal of the season. Koula would later go on to net a hat trick with goals in the 20th and 59th minute. Ehlinger also netted a hat trick in the match on top of three assists.
This match also saw freshman Elyse Daly, freshman Ellie Galvin, and sophomore Annie Craddock net their first goals on the season in the 12th, 37th, and 52nd minute respectively; junior Liz Seeley added her third of the season in the 56th minute to go with her three assists. Finlandia, which played the match with only 10 players, ended up on the losing end of a 10-0 scoreline that marked Lawrence’s best result since a game versus Illinois College in 2002.
The Lady Viking’s momentum from the thrashing of Finlandia into a 4-0 shutout of the Eagles of Edgewood College. Again the Vikings dominated play, and again, Ehlinger and Koula connected to open the scoring when Koula easily placed Ehlinger’s 19th-minute pass into the lower corner. Koula returned the favor 12 minutes later, swinging a cross in from the right side to Ehlinger, who volleyed home the second goal of match. Koula scored just five minutes later on an assist from sophomore Cadence Peckham, but had to wait until the 86th minute to pick up her second consecutive hat trick on a pass from Marcia Silveira.
The Vikings subsequently swept the conference honors, as Koula was awarded Midwest Conference Offensive Player of the Week and junior defender Jordan Holmes was named Defensive Player of the Week. Holmes was recognized for her leading role in the excellent performances by the Lawrence back line, which allowed only eight shots in the two games while the offense took 72.
The Lady Vikings, now an impressive 4-2, return for a home match against Lakeland College Thursday, and then travel to Lake Forest College for their second Midwest Conference match on Sunday.