MORRIS, Minn.- Offense, offense, and more offense was the story for the University of Northwestern Women's Soccer team as they cruised to their fourth consecutive win on Saturday afternoon. The Eagles took on the Minnesota-Morris Cougars for the second time this season and completed the season sweep of the Cougars with a 7-1 victory on Saturday.
The first time these two teams met this season, back on September 30
th, defense was the key to the Eagles' victory. Northwestern defeated Morris 2-1 in a late afternoon contest at Reynolds Field. However, on Saturday at Cougar Field in Morris, Minnesota the Eagles scored early and often on their way to the win.
Three Eagles scored their first goals of the season in Saturday's win and that started early in the game when
Meghan Corbett (Sartell, Minn./St. Cloud Cathedral) scored in the seventh minute.
Megan Kohrt (Monona, Wis./Homeschool) was credited with the assist on the goal that gave the Eagles an early lead.
Just over five minutes later,
Briella Babcock (Byron, Minn./Byron) scored her first goal of the 2023 season. Kohrt picked up her second assist of the game and UNW was off and rolling, carrying a 2-0 lead less than 12 minutes into the contest.
Corbett got back into the scorebook in the 20
th minute when she assisted on
Haley Mersberger's (Kiel, Wisc./Elkhart Lake Glenbeulah) goal. Just under eight minutes after Mersberger's goal, Kohrt found the back of the net to notch a goal to go along with her pair of assists, although she would not be done scoring on the afternoon.
With just under five minutes remaining in the first half of play,
Destiny Payan (Richfield, Minn./Richfield) was the third and final Eagle to score her first goal of the season. This was a big moment as the goal was the first of the freshman's collegiate career.
Megan Moeller (Sheboygan, Wis./Sheboygan Christian School) picked up the assist. The goal sent the teams into the locker room with UNW firmly in control, leading 5-0.
The second half started the same way that the first half finished.
Megan Kohrt (Monona, Wis./Homeschool) scored her second goal of the game less than five minutes into the second frame. Moeller picked up her second assist of the game.
The Cougars got their lone goal of the contest in the 73
rd minute, but UNW would immediately respond with one of their own. In the 78
th minute,
Mya Chan (Brandon, S.D./Homeschool) would find
Haley Mersberger (Kiel, Wisc./Elkhart Lake Glenbeulah) who would score her second goal of the game. Mersberger currently has 23 goals on the season which leads the UMAC. The goal would finally bring the scoring to a close as the Eagles won the contest by a final score of 7-1.
Head Coach
Josh Pettit will be thrilled with the brand of soccer that his team played on Saturday as all seven goals came via an assist.
Megan Kohrt (Monona, Wis./Homeschool) finished with two goals and two assists.
Haley Mersberger (Kiel, Wisc./Elkhart Lake Glenbeulah) had two goals.
Meghan Corbett (Sartell, Minn./St. Cloud Cathedral) had a goal and an assist while
Mya Chan (Brandon, S.D./Homeschool) along with
Megan Moeller (Sheboygan, Wis./Sheboygan Christian School) each finished with two assists.
Briella Babcock (Byron, Minn./Byron) and
Destiny Payan (Richfield, Minn./Richfield) each added a goal.
Samantha Hansen (Cottage Grove, Minn./New Life Academy) got the start in net and played nearly 56 minutes. She made a save and did not allow a goal.
Delaynee Bohatta (Hammond, WI/St. Croix Central) saw just over 25 minutes of action as the goalie and made three saves.
Aylee Beimert (East Bethel, Minn./North Lakes Academy) played just under nine minutes in net and did not allow a goal.
The Eagles have two regular season games left and they are firmly in the UMAC postseason race. Every game will be important for UNW down the stretch and the next time they will be in action will be Wednesday, October 25
th at Martin Luther. The game is scheduled to kickoff at 1:00pm.
