The Grinnell College women’s soccer team erupted for its highest goal total of the season Saturday, sailing past Lake Forest College 5-1 on a windy Springer Field.
The victory keeps Grinnell in command of the Midwest Conference with a perfect 4-0 league mark. It was the fifth win in a row for the Pioneers, who are 7-3-1 overall. Lake Forest is 2-2 in the league and 6-6 in all games.
Kathryn Vincent ’13 (pictured) had a big day for Grinnell with three assists, while Sarah Jensen ’15 had a goal and assist.
Grinnell took a 1-0 lead in the first half as Pauline Zheng ’14 scored in the 36th minute on Jensen’s assist. Jensen had a breakaway on the right side of the field and crossed the ball to Zheng, who was running through the middle and scored her second goal of the season.
In the 49th minute, Grinnell made it 2-0 on Nicole Sipfle’s ’13 first goal of the year. Vincent crossed the ball in the 18 from the right side of the post, and Sipfle knocked it into the far left side of the goal.
Lake Forest cut the lead in half in the 55th minute with an own goal, but Jensen made it 3-1 with a goal in the 60th minute. Jensen took a long cross from Vincent and ran the ball through the left side of the field, played it to the right side of the post and scored.
Patty Murphy-Geiss ’14 made it a 4-1 game in the 64th minute. She took a long pass in the center of the field from Vincent. The keeper came out and Murphy-Geiss put the ball in the net for her team-high seventh goal of the season.
Grinnell completed the scoring in the 87th minute when Mackenzie Shanahan ’14 tallied her first goal of the season. She took a pass from Alison Bayly ’15 and beat the keeper with a shot.
Grinnell won the shots battle 10-4, with Jensen getting three shots and Murphy-Geiss two.
Pioneers’ keeper Jordan Young ’14 had two saves in earning the win.
Grinnell travels to Jacksonville, Ill., to meet Illinois College at 11 a.m. next Saturday.
