The University of Redlands women's soccer team continued Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) action on Saturday, October 4, by facing off against the University of La Verne Leopards on Farquhar Field. After facing an early deficit, the Maroon and Gray exploded for four goals in to come away with a 4-3 victory.
After La Verne got on the board in the fifth minute, Redlands quickly responded when sophomore midfielder Kate Frame (Fox Island, WA) fired a missile into the back of the net after junior midfielder Savannah Laursen (Boise, ID) fed her the ball directly in front of the goal.
Immediately following the equalizer by Frame, junior forward Jen Franklin (Shoreline, WA) made her presence immediately known just seconds after checking into the game. Less than a minute later, Laursen found Franklin in similar fashion to the home team's first goal, before Franklin promptly knocked the ball into the net by ricocheting it off the post for the Bulldogs' 2-1 lead.
Franklin continued to impress on the offensive end of the field, as she uncorked another shot that found the back of the net on an assist by senior forward Lihini Weerasinghe (Redlands, CA), stretching the Bulldog advantage to 3-1 by the 27th minute of action.
During the early portion of the second stanza, the U of R remained true to its offensive game plan, as junior midfielder Cassie Lively (Redmond, WA) fired off two shots and sophomore midfielder Erin Lau (Reno, NV) blasted one attempt in a matter of a three-minute span.
Although La Verne cut down the Bulldog lead to one goal after netting a shot in the 69th minute, the Maroon and Gray remained persistent by answering with another goal. This one was compliments of Laursen, as she worked around the defense to create her own scoring opportunity, which she finished in the low post to make it 4-2.
Completing the wild contest, La Verne nabbed another score in the 88th minute, but it was not enough, as the Bulldogs held on for the 4-3 win.
Junior goalkeeper Lexi Felix (Kailua, HI) and freshman goalkeeper Hannah Menk (Pleasanton, CA) split halves between the pipes. Felix added a victory to her win column, while Menk recorded three saves.
The defensive unit of freshman Erin Schlosser (Sammamish, WA), junior Sam Keary (Mission Viejo, CA), and sophomore Samantha Burghardt (Gig Harbor, WA) limited La Verne to four shots in the first half.
Overall, Redlands outshot La Verne by a 21-12 margin.
Redlands (6-3, 4-2 SCIAC) takes to the road for its next two contests, beginning with Wednesday's SCIAC showdown at Occidental College. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
