ST. PAUL, Minn. - In a huge UMAC showdown at home with only four conference games remaining, the University of Northwestern women's soccer team rose to the occasion with a dominant 3-0 win over the second-place team in the conference, Bethany Lutheran. The result marked a major turnaround for Head Coach Danny Brandt's squad, who were held scoreless in their last meeting with the Vikings despite creating plenty of chances.

Just 14 minutes in, Marie Kendall (Dakar, Senegal/Dakar Academy) nearly put the Eagles on the board when her shot deflected off a Viking defender's head and ricocheted off the crossbar in a dangerous early look. Two minutes later, Northwestern broke through. Briella Babcock (Byron, Minn./Byron), who has been rock solid all week, controlled the ball calmly inside the box and dished it back to Naomi Meehan (Waconia, Minn./Homeschool). Meehan's shot took a deflection before finding the back of the net, giving the Eagles a 1-0 lead. Towards the final minutes of the half, Haley Mersberger (Kiel, Wis./Elkhart Lake Glenbeulah) played a beautiful ball ahead to Kendall, whose shot forced a corner. Off the ensuing corner from Kendall, Mersberger nearly doubled the lead as her header rattled the crossbar. Northwestern kept the pressure on through the remainder of the half, but the Viking defense held UNW to just a one-goal advantage.

The Eagles didn't let up in the second half, as Mersberger found herself on a breakaway just seven minutes in. Her shot went wide, but it reamped the attacking momentum for UNW. Fifteen minutes later, the Eagles' defense shut down a Bethany attack and turned defense into offense in seconds. Mallory Moseman (Woodbury, Minn./New Life Academy) cleared the ball up to Meehan, who weaved through midfield before sending a perfect through ball to Kendall streaking up the sideline. In a 2v2 attack with Mersberger charging through the middle, Kendall delivered a perfect pass. Mersberger squared up with the keeper and buried it into the corner to go up 2-0. Six minutes later, UNW's relentless pressure paid off again. The Eagles forced a turnover near midfield, and Mersberger drove into the box, beating the keeper before laying it off to Jessica Redman (Beaver Dam, Wis./Beaver Dam). Redman's shot was blocked by a BLC defender on the goal line, but she stayed with the rebound and tapped it back to Mersberger, who finished off the play, finding the bottom corner for her second goal of the match.

The Eagles controlled the attack, outshooting Bethany 23-3. Goalkeeper Sam Hansen (Cottage Grove, Minn./New Life Academy) continued her impressive season, posting her sixth consecutive shutout with three saves, backed by a disciplined defensive line that shut down every Viking chance. Mersberger led the way with two goals on six shots, while Meehan scored once on two attempts. Kendall, Redman, and Babcock each recorded an assist in the all-around team effort.

With this 3-0 win, Northwestern is poised to move into second place in the UMAC standings. The Eagles will travel to Iowa to take on Central College in a non-conference bout on October 23rd at 3:30 PM.