09/21/07

The Saints got an early goal from sophomore Angie Groh that proved to be all they’d need in a 4-0 win over Crown College on Friday morning at Duluth’s Public Schools Stadium.

St. Scholastica improved to 5-2-1 overall and stayed undefeated in conference play (3-0-0) to remain atop the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference standings. Crown dropped to 4-2-0 overall and 1-2-0 in the UMAC.

In the 5th minute of the first half Groh let loose a hard shot from 25 yards out that the Crown goalkeeper leapt up to catch but the wet ball, from hard early morning rains that soaked the turf field, slipped through her gloves and with that, the Saints found themselves ahead 1-0 before breaking a sweat.

St. Scholastica dominated play throughout the opening 45 minutes, out shooting the Purple Storm 10 to zero, but it wasn’t until the 35th minute in the half that they would score again as junior Kristen Stangel received a pass from Sara Olson along the right sideline and from 15 yards out launched a low liner across the box that skirted just inside the left post for her first goal of the season.

Less than eight minutes later Robin Johnson drove in on goal from the top, left of the box beating two defenders along the way and pushing a shot past Crown keeper Bronwyn Weiss for an unassisted goal that put the Saints ahead 3-0 just before the half.

Shortly after the intermission, Olson picked up a goal herself on an arcing pass across the box from the right by Victoria Witrak that carried across the face of the goal where a waiting Olson tapped it in behind Weiss for a 4-0 Saints lead.

St. Scholastica goalie Kelly Momsen stopped the one shot that Crown managed to get on goal and recorded her third shutout of the season and 17th in her career, only two shy of the team record of 19.