The fifth-ranked Trinity Tigers women’s soccer team finished its Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference weekend with two victories against Centenary College and Austin College.
The women’s soccer team tallied its sixth consecutive shutout with a 9-0 SCAC victory over Centenary College this past Friday evening. The defending conference champions improved to 8-0-1 overall, and 3-0-0 in SCAC play. The two teams will meet again Oct. 18 in Shreveport, La.
Junior midfielder Emily Jorgens scored the first goal less than a minute into Friday’s match, then added to her season lead with a second goal later in the game. Jorgens also dished out two assists; she leads the Tigers with eight for the season so far. In the game, she also became the eighth player in school history to reach 100 career points.
The next goal did not occur until the 37th minute, when junior midfielder Kelsey Falcone scored on a header to put the Tigers up 2-0. Junior forward Hannah Kuhl put one past the goalkeeper about 90 seconds after Falcone’s goal, then Kuhl added her second of the night with a minute to play before halftime. Falcone also accounted for two assists in the second half.
Senior midfielder Michelle Lanier, who was selected for the National Soccer Coaches Association Division III Player of the week, opened the scoring in the second half, in the 64th minute of play.
“It was an amazing honor to be selected the NSCAA Division III Player of the Week and is most important for us as a team. I’m so glad I could put my chances away and get some recognition for us as a team so that the rest of the country knows that we are a force to be reckoned with,” Lanier said.
The Tigers scored three goals in a six-minute time period late in the half. First-year defensive midfielder Jordan Leeper scored in the 84th and 90th minutes, while first-year midfielder Yasmeen Farra scored in between the two goals by Leeper.
Trinity continued its overwhelming dominance of total shots, leading Centenary 56-0. The Tigers also had 27 shots on goal.
The Tigers continued their winning streak when they defeated Austin College 6-1 the following Sunday.
“I feel a key to our success is our dedicated coaching staff. Our coaches, Lance and Owen, help prepare us mentally and physically before every game in such unique ways. This is a distinctive advantage for our program. I also feel our depth is a real advantage. We have players coming off the bench that could easily start on most other teams. Everyone plays with passion and will to win. It is exciting to be a part of such a great team,” Leeper said.
Senior forward Shelby Guenthardt posted three consecutive goals near the end of the game. Guenthardt became the fifth Trinity player to score 40 or more goals in a career. She has currently amassed 42 career goals, including seven this season. Guenthardt also produced the second “hat trick” of her career.
Jorgens scored two goals in the game, with her first goal coming in the 19th minute of game play, which gave the Tigers a 2-0 halftime lead. She then put one past the Austin College goalkeeper in the 79th minute, for her team-leading 11th goal of the season.
Falcone put the Tigers on the board in the seventh minute, marking her fifth goal of the season.
“We treat every game the same. We have the same pre-game rituals in the locker room and try and warm up with the same focus and intensity no matter who’s on the opposite side of the field. We set team goals before each match and focusing on achieving those goals gives us motivation to play our best with each opportunity we get to go out and play,” said head coach Lance Key.
Austin College’s only score came in the 82nd minute, on a goal by Maddy Millender. The undefeated Tigers have allowed only four goals in 10 games this season.
The Tigers travel to Irving, Texas, on Friday for a conference game at 4 p.m. against the University of Dallas. Trinity returns home Tuesday, Oct. 8, to host Southwestern at 7 p.m. in a conference game.
