University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Drake University
Gophers Top Drake in Exhibition
8/15/2015 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota women's soccer team kicked off the 2015 season in an exhibition match against Drake University in a 8-0 victory over the Drake Bulldogs at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie stadium.
The underclassmen of the team stepped up in a big way for the Gophers as two of the seven freshmen got a taste as starters. Molly Fiedler and April Bockin showed off the chemistry they developed from being teammates on the Elite Clubs National League with the 18-and-under Minnesota Thunder Academy. Fiedler recorded five shots throughout the game with two on goal as Bockin recorded two goals. Also getting a chance to take the field for their collegiate debut was Emily Peterson, Maddie Castro and Emily Heslin who notched two shots with one on goal, which resulted in one of the Gophers eight of the game.
The non-stop scoring from the Gophers on the night began in the sixth minute of play as Bockin netted the first goal of the season. Junior co-captain Simone Kolander tallied the second goal for the Maroon and Gold followed by sophomore Megan Koenig in the forty-second minute of play. Less than a minute later, fellow sophomore Kellie McGahn added another goal to bring the score to 4-0 just before the end of the half.
The Gophers showed no slowing down as they emerged just as strong coming out from the locker room as a cross from Bockin met Heslin resulting in another goal. Bockin then teamed up with McGahn to bring the goal tally up to 6-0.
In two plays less than four minutes apart from each other, Squires was the go-to for the final two goals on the night as she scored off a cross from Stiever and netted the team's eighth goal with ease.
Minnesota's dominance didn't just show on the scoreboard, but also in shots and corner tallies. The Gophers outshot the Bulldogs 25-9, notching eleven in the first half and fourteen in the second to Drake's two and seven, respectively. For corner kicks, Drake added two to Minnesota's six.
In goal, junior Tarah Hobbs played the whole first half, tallying a save for the Gophers as fellow junior Mara Dougherty, emerged during the second half to make two key saves.
The Maroon and Gold will return to Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium next week in the official opening weekend of the regular season looking to carry the momentum they displayed tonight. The team will host a pair of home games starting Friday, August 21 at 7:00 p.m. as they take on NDSU and return Sunday afternoon to face Kansas. Kickoff is set for 2:00 p.m.
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