Wildcats Keep Perfect Record After Trouncing LCL/ULS Lightning

The girls soccer team shut out the Lake Country Lutheran/University Lake School Co-op team 2-0 on Monday at USM. 

The Wildcats continued to employ methods that their coaches Jason Rienzi and Patrick Flanagan have emphasized all season: short passes before a long pass, tight defensive marking and moving to position to receive the ball.  Their efforts paid off.

“Our team made some really good 10 yard passes and short-short-longs today,” Wildcats’ junior sweeper Ellie Wigdale said.

Margot Peterson, a junior on the USM defense, added,  “The game was good.  We possessed the ball well.  Emily played well too.”

Peterson was referencing Emily Wigdale, USM’s sophomore goalkeeper.  “It was just another game,” she said, demonstrating that the efforts of the USM defense made it feel like an easy day of goaltending for her.

USM’s senior captain Paige Costakos scored the game’s first goal.  Costakos took a pass from junior Sally James. Costakos dribbled around two defenders and released a shot from the 18-yard line that arched like a rainbow into the upper left corner of the LCL/ULS net at 18:19.

USM’s second goal came off a corner kick.  Junior Jenna Seter sent the ball into the middle.  During a scrap for control of the ball, USM’s freshman forward Amber Baker tipped the ball to James.  James made a quick 180-degree turn, and blasted the ball past the Lightning’s junior goalie Kelly Swofford to give the Wildcats a two-goal cushion at 32:39.

Wigdale made eight saves, and Swofford stopped seven of USM’s shots on goal.

Lake Country Lutheran is now 6-1-1 and 3-1 in the conference.  This victory improved USM’s record to 5-3 overall and 3-0 in the conference.  The Wildcats play another conference game at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday when St. Joan Antida's team comes to USM.