09/29/06

Sophomore Robin Johnson’s goal only 7:38 after the opening touch proved to be the only score the Saints needed in their overwhelming 5-0 shutout of Bethany Lutheran at Duluth’s Public Schools Stadium in a rare Friday morning game for the UMAC foes.

All five St. Scholastica scores came within the first 37 minutes of the game as the Saints kept the field tilted toward the Viking goal throughout the opening half, taking 25 shots while not allowing a single shot by Bethany.

Johnson later netted a second goal in the game which upped her season count to seven goals on the year. With nine regular season matches remaining, Johnson looks to be a good bet to improve upon her goals total from her freshman year. In the 2005 season she was second on the team in goals with 10, behind only the 12 scores by Jen Seip (’06), the Saints’ career points leader. Johnson led the 2005 team in points with 31 (10 goals, 11 assists).

Another Saint having a possible career-type season is junior Shannon Kresky. With a goal in the Bethany win, Kresky has five for the year. She had a career-best seven goals last year, and didn’t register a single game-winning goal. Already this year, three of her five goals have been game-winners.

Scoring their first collegiate goals in the win over the Vikings were junior defender Mandy Hanson and freshman midfielder Abby Arrowsmith. Hanson’s goal increased the Saints lead in the game to 2-0 while Arrowsmith’s completed the scoring deluge.

Freshman Kelly Vilen got her second start in goal and made a save on the only shot on goal by Bethany all afternoon. The win was her second shutout in two appearances.

St. Scholastica (9-1-1 overall) remains atop the UMAC standings at 6-0-0 with the win over the Vikings who fall to 2-7-0 overall and 2-4-0 in the conference.

In the Saints’ current seven-game win streak, they’ve scored 24 goals and allowed only two.