SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- Junior Sara Lachance netted a goal and three assists and nine Golden Eagles recorded points as the John Brown womens soccer team (6-5-0, 2-0-0 SAC) remained undefeated in Sooner Athletic play with a resounding 8-0 defeat of Bacone (Okla.) on Saturday (Oct. 3) at Alumni Field.
Freshmen Aspen Robinson and Jastin Redman each recorded two goals and an assist while freshman Tori Kraft notched her first collegiate assist in a matchup that saw the hosts out-shoot the Warriors (0-3-1, 0-2-0 SAC) 36-2 on the afternoon.
The eight goals was the largest margin of victory since the very same teams met on Aug. 28, 2009, an 11-0 victory for JBU over Bacone.
“Knowing we can go to goal and score goals is a good confidence booster for us,†said head coach Kathleen Paulsen. “We need to continue to be sharp for the rest of the season. We have a difficult match with Oklahoma City next week, and we need to stick to our game plan. When we do that, we find success. When we dont, we struggle.â€
Robinson and Redman continued their torrid outputs in John Browns third-straight win. After starting the season 1-4-0, the Golden Eagles have earned wins in five of its last six.
Redman kicked off the scoring with her second game-winner of the year in the 14th minute when she cut into the box along the goal line on right side. After beating a defender, she sent a pass to Robinson, who quickly returned the ball to Redman as she crashed the net. Redman popped in her seventh of the year from just two yards out.
Redman added her second of the match, eighth of the season, when she finished off a centering pass from freshman Anna Brown in the slot. Streaking up the left flank, Brown volleyed a pass into the box which Redman one-touched into the bottom left corner past Bacone keeper Courtisha Ebanks, handing the Golden Eagles a 5-0 lead in the 54th minute.
Robinson tallied her fifth and sixth strikes of the year just 1:20 apart in the second half. Robinson buried a penalty kick opportunity to the left post in the 51st minute before she capped off a beautiful passing progression in the 52nd. Lachance began a counter-attack in the midfield and sent a ball up the middle to sophomore Sarah Hill. Hill continued the play forward through the Warrior back line, freeing Robinson into a one-on-one situation with Ebanks. Robinson sent the 15-yard blast to the bottom right corner to complete a three-goal JBU outburst in just under four minutes.
Brown picked up three points in the win with a 25th-minute goal and a helper. Lachance began the play by sending Redman down the right flank to the corner flag. Just before a defender approached, Redman sent a long cross to the far left post, where Brown headed in her third of the season to the right post.
Lachance joined the scoring parade in the 72nd minute with a follow-up attempt to her 13-yard blast. Lachance let a shot go from the left side, which Ebanks, stopped, but Lachance didnt give up on the play, following her shot and cranking the rebound past the sprawled keeper.
With a 6-0 lead in hand, the scoring didnt stop as senior Alex Fahr lofted in her first goal of the season, a beautiful 18-yard bend to the far right post. Kraft collected a deflection and sent a ball back to Fahr who was approaching the 18. Fahr sent a one-touch high over the defense, when bent back down and in for a 7-0 lead in the 84th minute of play.
Then, with just 4:17 remaining in the match, freshman Anne Metz recorded her fourth of the year on a bizarre play. Lachance began the attack by switching fields from the left side to the right flank. Running down the right flank, senior Nicole Kosin crossed a ball back into the box, which Metz redirected towards the left post. With the spin on the ball, it deflected off the post and rolled across the goal line and out. After further review, it was determined the ball crossed the goal line and put an end to the Golden Eagle offensive surge.
Junior Hannah Poor needed to make just one save to up her record to 6-4-0 on the year. She gave way to freshman Lauren Marsh in the second half, who was not called upon to make a save. It was the second combined shutout between the two this season.
The slate promises to get more difficult for John Brown, which faces a pair of road contests this week in Oklahoma. On Tuesday (Oct. 6) the Golden Eagles travel to Oklahoma City for a 5 p.m. match. The Stars are the lone team in the Sooner Athletic to receive votes in the latest NAIA national womens soccer coaches top-25 poll. Then, JBU must take on Science & Arts (Okla.) in Chickasha on Saturday (Oct. 10). The Drovers were selected to win the conference in the SAC preseason coaches poll.
