Ten players with at least one point
CHICAGO – The NMU women’s soccer team emphatically opened its road slate of GLIAC matches, dominating the Roosevelt Lakers in a 6-0 complete performance.
Ten different ‘Cats recorded at least one point today, highlighted by both Brooke Pietila and Lucy Burk recording a goal and an assist.
A truly commanding performance, NMU led with wide margins in shots (29-2), shots on goal (14-0), and corners (10-0).
The Wildcats now improve to 4-2-1 with a 2-1-0 conference mark on the early season, with aspirations of gathering another crucial victory this Sunday in Indiana.
Cat Nips
- Brooke Pietila registered a goal and an assist, bringing her to eight points in seven games (3-2–8)
- In just her second career game, freshman Lucy Burk came off the bench, scored a goal, and tallied an assist while logging 41 minutes of playing time
- Hannah Kastamo tallied her third goal of the season and second game-winning-goal of the year, giving her a two-game goal streak and tying the team lead in goals
- Stephanie Trujillo scored her second goal of the season, bringing her point totals to five (2-1–5)
- Molly Pistorius found the scoresheet for the second time this season, giving her a two-game point streak and six points on the season (2-2–6)
- Caitlyn Trombley scored her first goal of the season, rounding out the scoring for the ‘Cats
- Allison Kroll registered an assist, giving her a two-game point streak (1-1–3)
- Ashley Koch earned her first point of the season with an assist on Trujillo’s tally
- Justina L’Esperance registered her second assist of the season, bringing her point totals to eight (3-2–8)
- After a brace in the first game, Bilbia’s next points came as an assist in todays match, brining her season point totals to five (2-1–5)
- The Wildcats set or tied season game team high’s in points (18), goals (6), assists (6), shots (29), and corner kicks (10)
How It Happened
The ‘Cats opened the scoring from a perfectly played set piece inside the Lakers half just 15 minutes in. Pietila stepped on a free kick that found Kastamo in the box in stride, who was left unmarked and redirected the service ball past the keeper to give the ‘Cats the game’s first goal.
Kroll corralled the ball just inside the right corner of the box from a shot deflection. She made a slick move to the outside of her defender before laying a perfect left-footed pass along the turf to Burk who found herself with all sorts of space around the penalty spot. Without hesitation she fired the ball right-footed into the lower right corner, doubling the lead.
Not four minutes later, the ‘Cats forced a turnover on the far touchline and were on the counterattack. A cross from Caitlyn Trombley was played into the box that went off a Laker head before Koch was able to direct it toward an incoming Trujillo. Stephanie took the volley from just inside the box, firing a screamer to the bottom right corner to further pad the Wildcats lead.
A truly dominant first half, the ‘Cats controlled every aspect of the game, out-pacing the Lakers in shots (16-0), shots on goal (6-0), and corners (7-0).
The Wildcats came out of the half with the same energy, scoring two very similar goals 15 and 17 minutes into the second frame. L’Esperance lifted a cross from the left side of the box that found the head of Pistorius to redirect into the net, then Bilbia lifted a cross from an almost identical spot on the right side that found the head of Pietila, and the ‘Cats had a 5-0 lead.
Trombley topped off the Wildcat scoring after she received a beautifully placed service ball from Burk in the box, beating the keeper back door and capping off a successful evening.
Up Next
The ‘Cats round out its road trip in Hammond, Indiana, where they take on the Purdue Northwest Pride on Sunday at noon ET.