(Sugar Grvoe, IL) - Waubonsee Community College's women's soccer team entered their late afternoon match against Bryant & Stratton College eyeing a potential top seeding spot in the next Region IV poll. Instead it was the visiting Bobcats from Milwaukee who now likely have a clear view from the top. The Chiefs (5-2-1) came out flat and the Bobcats (6-1-0) took advantage by scoring a pair of early goals on the way to winning 6-2. Two more miscues by the Chiefs allowed Bryant & Stratton to tack on two more scores to take a commanding 4-0 lead midway through the first half. Meanwhile, Waubonsee could not capitalize on several scoring opportunities throughout the half and could never get the deficit to less than three the rest of the way.
The Bobcats' Kimberly Lopez started the scoring just three minutes into the contest when she drilled a shot into the upper right corner. The visitors got another goal in the 10th minute when Sydney Norlander's bouncing shot deflected off the hands of Chiefs' keeper Skyler Kaelin and bounded into the net. Ten minutes later Bryant & Stratton's Litzy Corona bounced a shot over Kaelin for a 3-0 lead just 20 minutes into the game. Corona scored again six minutes later when she got free on a breakaway and tapped the ball past a retreating Kaelin and into the left corner of the goal. Meanwhile, throughout the period Waubonsee had numerous opportunities to score as they out shot the Bobcats 10-5 before the frustrating half came to a close.
Waubonsee missed out on another chance early in the second half when Marissa VanWyhe's breakaway shot sailed right of the post. Bryant & Stratton scored a fifth time in the 61st minute when Hailey Stacy lofted a shot over the outstretched arms of Waubonsee's new keeper Alexis Coronilla. Not even thirty seconds later Shelby Key finally got the Chiefs on the scoreboard with her eighth goal of the season. The sophomore forward beat the Bobcats' keeper Lynette Ocampo on a move out front of the net and kicked a shot toward the left corner. A sliding Bryant & Stratton defender thwarted that attempt just in front of the post before Key poked it away from her and then tapped it in to make it 5-1. Waubonsee's Anaka Carlson then booked her fourth goal of the season sliding in and drilling a beautiful shot from the left side into the upper right corner in the 75th minute. Corona then completed a hat trick on the day by striking a laser into the upper left corner from 12 yards out with just two minutes remaining. Corona's 13 goal of the season, which ties her for 11th nationally among all NJCAA Division I players in goals scored, clinched the Bobcats victory.
Waubonsee is set to play again this coming Saturday, September 21 at noon when they host Daley College from Chicago. Waubonsee, 3-0 in Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) play, then travels next week to Moraine Valley Community College (5-2, 2-1) for a match that very well may determine the ISCC title. That match is set for Wednesday, September 25 starting at 4:00 p.m. in southwest suburban Palos Hills.