ST. PAUL – The University of Northwestern women's soccer team (1-0) sealed a 4-1 season-opening victory Thursday evening against Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) competitor Bethany Lutheran (0-1).
 
With no time to waste, Jordan Lubben (Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo ) was the first to find the net for the Eagles, as teammate Sally Keckeisen (Fort Atkinson, Wis./Fort Atkinson) received the assist just after the 6:00 minute mark in the first half. The Vikings followed shortly behind, as they tapped in their solo goal of the evening to tie the game with 21:00 minutes on the clock.
 
After battling an additional 12:00 minutes of play, UNW recorded two more goals from Emily Goeppinger (Marshfield, Wis./Marshfield), and a career-first from Linley Norman (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake). UNW's Rachel Walmsley (Lino Lakes, Minn./Homeschool) also finished the game on a strong note, as she tabbed both assists.
 
Taking the field in the second with eyes on the prize, Megan Larsen (Appleton, Wis./Appleton East) kicked in the fourth and final goal of the night for the Eagles, as Norman snatched the assist.
 
Shot attempts were at a medium for both teams throughout the contest. Though Bethany outshot Northwestern 21-14 (tied 11-11 SOG), the Eagles made up for it on the defensive end as goalkeeper Samantha Dewey (Two Harbors, Minn./Two Harbors) tallied 10 saves on the night.
 
Norman, Lubben, Larsen, and Goeppinger capped off the match with two shots on goal a piece; one of each being a goal towards the first victory of the season for the Eagles.
 
UNW will defend its home turf on Sept. 7 against Anoka-Ramsey at Reynolds Field. Start time is set for 5 p.m. Visit unweagles.com for more information.