ST. PAUL, Minn. - In a win-or-go-home matchup, the University of Northwestern Women's Soccer Team embraced the moment at Reynolds Field and came out with swagger, dominating from the opening whistle. The Eagles scored six goals in the opening 45 minutes, finishing 8-1 over the University of Minnesota-Morris.
In the 13th minute, the dynamic duo of Haley Mersberger (Kiel, Wis./Elkhart Lake Glenbeulah) and Marie Kendall (Dakar, Senegal/Dakar Academy) connected for the opening goal, like they have done all season.. Kendall delivered a perfectly placed free kick from the end line that found Mersberger's head as she powered past her defenders. Just three minutes later, Mersberger struck again, pouncing on a rebound from a Kendall shot to double the lead. Ten minutes after that, the senior had fans tossing their hats as she completed her first-half hat trick, muscling through three defenders and the keeper to finish off a lead pass from Briella Babcock (Byron, Minn./Byron).
The flood of goals continued just 62 seconds later when Babcock unleashed a laser from the top of the box, ripping it into the upper netting to make it 4-0. After assisting on three of the four goals, Kendall then joined the scoring party in the 32nd minute, as she finished a pass from Mersberger into the far side of the goal. Less than a minute later, Kendall was fouled hard in the box in a clear denial of a goal-scoring opportunity. She confidently stepped up to the spot and buried the penalty with power into the bottom-left corner, opposite the diving keeper. The goal marked the sixth and final tally of a dominant first half for the Eagles
Fifteen minutes after the break, Mersberger and Babcock connected for a beautifully worked goal. After an entry pass to Mersberger, Babcock sprinted down the sideline for the return feed and finished into the side netting. This goal marked her second goal of the game and second multi-goal performance of her career. Continuing to challenge Morris, Britta Holter (Hudson, Wis./Hudson), Madeline Hallberg (Princeton, Minn./Princeton), and Tayla Thomas (Wylie, Texas/Homeschool) all created dangerous chances on a free-kick sequence, with 15 minutes remaining in the semifinal.
In the 88th minute, Olivia Hagner (Coon Rapids, Minn./PACT Charter School) capped the night with her first goal of the season, stealing the ball at the top of the box and lofting a perfectly placed shot over the keeper. Morris spoiled the clean sheet with a goal in the closing seconds, but the outcome was never in doubt.
Every active Eagle saw the field in the commanding 8-1 win. Mersberger led with three goals and an assist, while Kendall added two goals and three assists. Babcock also tallied two goals on perfect efficiency, scoring both her shot attempts. Hagner scored on two shot attempts, and Naomi Meehan (Waconia, Minn./Homeschool) added three shots. In goal, Sam Hansen (Cottage Grove, Minn./New Life Academy) made three saves in 79 minutes, and Kaisa Niska (Ramsey, Minn./Legacy Christian Academy) added one save in her 11 minutes of action.
With the win, the Eagles advance to the UMAC Championship, where they will host UW-Superior on Saturday at 2:00 PM at Reynolds Field in a massive title showdown. The winner of the championship match will receive the UMAC's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
