APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University women's soccer team delivered a dominant performance Saturday afternoon, scoring three goals in each half to defeat Beloit College 6-0 at the Banta Bowl. Six different Vikings found the back of the net, while Lawrence controlled the attacking statistics and completed a shutout on Senior Day.
Lawrence began building its lead midway through the first half, breaking through in the 20th minute when Kate Noonan converted a penalty kick. The goal gave the Vikings a 1-0 advantage and opened the scoring in a match where Lawrence continued to create opportunities in the attacking third.
Just three minutes later, Ava Bedan doubled the lead with a finish off a pass from Kylie Grimes. The quick response kept the pressure on Beloit, and Lawrence added another goal in the 25th minute. This time, Grimes moved from provider to scorer, finishing an opportunity created by Kylie Melonis to give the Vikings a three-goal advantage.
Lawrence carried its 3-0 lead into halftime after producing eight first-half shots, including four on target. The Vikings also earned three corner kicks in the opening half, consistently putting pressure on the Beloit defense. Defensively, Lawrence limited the visitors to just two shots before the break.
The Vikings continued their strong play after halftime, adding to the lead in the 53rd minute. Ava Elders scored off an assist from Lucia Pierce-Haig, extending the advantage to 4-0 and giving Lawrence another scoring contribution from a different player.
Lawrence kept its attack moving through the second half. Dani Neil scored in the 67th minute, pushing the lead to five. Less than four minutes later, Zoe Feeley-Wheeler completed the scoring when she finished a pass from Sieanna Sandor in the 70th minute. The two goals came in quick succession and capped a second half in which the Vikings found the net three times.
The six-goal performance was backed by a significant advantage in the match statistics. Lawrence finished with 17 shots, putting 14 on target, while Beloit managed six shots and four attempts on goal. The Vikings also held a 6-2 advantage in corner kicks, generating more attacking opportunities throughout the contest.
