ST. PAUL, Minn. - The University of Northwestern kicked off the UMAC Tournament with a bang, defeating Martin Luther College 5-0. The Eagles scored four first-half goals while holding the Knights to just three shot attempts. UNW added one more goal in the second half to secure its spot in the Championship match on Saturday.
It took just eight minutes for the Eagles to find the back of the net. Marie Kendall (Dakar, Senegal/Dakar Academy) chased down a ball in the corner, nutmegged her defender, then delivered a beautiful ball into the box where Naomi Meehan (Waconia, Minn./Homeschool) took over. With a defender on her back, Meehan took a touch into space before slotting the ball between the goalkeeper and the post to give UNW the early 1-0 lead.
Three minutes later, Northwestern struck again. Meehan played Kendall through the back line, and Kendall fired a shot that was initially saved by the keeper. Kendall recovered the rebound and found the open net to double the Eagles' lead.
The Kendall-Meehan connection continued in the 20th minute. Kendall once again found space in the corner and sent a cross into the box that slipped past the keeper and found Meehan's waiting foot for a 3-0 advantage.
Meehan completed her hat trick in the 23rd minute after a shot deflected off a Martin Luther defender and into the box. Meehan was there to collect the loose ball and put it away for the Eagles' fourth goal. Heading into halftime, UNW's defense had not allowed a single shot attempt, while the Eagle attack recorded 20 shots, including 10 on target.
Kendall picked up her second goal of the game early in the second half with some fancy footwork and a finish that has become typical of the sophomore. She fired from deep in the box, finding just enough space between the goalkeeper and the post to push the Eagles' lead to five.
Meehan led Northwestern with three goals on nine shots, including four on target. Kendall finished with two goals and two assists while recording 11 shots on target. Ada Meehan (Waconia, Minn./Homeschool) and Canden Madden (Kasota, Minn./Homeschool) each added three shot attempts, while Alix Krueger (Forest Lake, Minn./Forest Lake Area) contributed one. Sam Hansen (Cottage Grove, Minn./New Life Academy) grabbed two saves in the shutout, for her tenth clean sheet of the season.
With the victory, UNW advances to the UMAC Championship game on Saturday, November 7. The Eagles will travel to UW-Superior to face the Yellowjackets for the conference title.
