KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Three goals on either side of halftime led Western Michigan to a 6-0 victory over the Northern Illinois University women's soccer team on Thursday afternoon (Oct. 28) in the season finale at the WMU Soccer Complex.
Julia Lentz (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) made eight saves in the contest for the Huskies.
NIU had the first shot of the contest as
Grace Louis (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) forced a save from Western Michigan goalkeeper Maggie Rogers on a shot from distance in the 14th minute.
Western Michigan opened the scoring in the 24th minute through Jenna Blackburn. Kai Sugiyama played a long ball out of the back and Blackburn picked it up just outside the box. Blackburn dribbled into the box and fired a low shot just inside the far post to give the Broncos a 1-0 lead.
The Broncos added to their lead in the 35th minute. Cas Flanagan hit a low cross from the left side to just inside the six-yard box where Hannah Redoute was the first to get there and she flicked the ball up and over Lentz, putting Western Michigan in front by a pair.
Western Michigan scored a third in the 43rd minute as Flanagan found the back of the net. The Broncos came down the right side and a low cross found its way into the box. Redoute poked the ball on toward Flanagan who slipped it past Lentz to give the Broncos a 3-0 lead at the interval.
The Broncos scored a fourth 10 minutes into the second half. A low cross from the left by Mary Dzuiba ran all the way across the top of the six-yard box to Claudia Schilling on the opposite side and Schilling blasted a shot from close range into the net, giving Western Michigan a 4-0 lead in the 55th minute.
In the 64th minute,
Edith Delgado (Aurora, Ill./East Aurora) had a chance for the Huskies. Delgado's initial shot was blocked but the rebound came back to her near the top of the 18-yard box and the second effort was stopped by Rogers
Nine minutes later,
Kierah Meier (Sycamore, Ill./Sycamore) forced another save from Rogers as the chance from just outside the box by Meier sent the Western Michigan goalkeeper sprawling down to her right to make the save.
Western Michigan scored from a corner in the 76th minute. Jorden Campbell took the corner kick for the Broncos and swung it inside the six-yard box where Redoute rose highest to head it into the net, giving Western Michigan a 5-0 lead.
Bailey Korhorn closed the scoring for Western Michigan in the 83rd minute as she collected a cross from Campbell inside the box, spun off a defender and slotted home a shot from about 12 yards.
With the victory, Western Michigan ends its season at 6-12, 4-7 in Mid-American Conference play. NIU finishes the season with a 5-12-2 mark, 2-7-2 in the league.
