MILWAUKEE -- The Alverno College women's soccer team defeated host Mount Mary College 9-0 tonight in a nonconference game to improve its record to 6-7 overall, tying the school record for most wins in a season. The Inferno have six games remaining on their regular season schedule.
"I think we got here sooner than we thought," said first year head coach Brittany Oliveira. "One of the goals we set early on was that we wanted to break the record for most wins in a season, so we're one step closer. We need one more game to do it, and the great thing is we have a lot more opportunities ahead of us."
The Inferno quickly got on the board as senior forward Ellie LaFond (Waukesha, Wis./West) connected on a goal shortly after a corner kick just 1:42 into the game. LaFond would add two more goals in the half and three in the game to bring her team-leading season total to 15. She also assisted on two goals to bring her assist total to five this season, also a team best.
Freshman Kelsey Kochanowski (Oak Creek, Wis.) reached double-digits on the season scoring in the 78th minute, and also assisted on a Audriana Rosas's (New Berlin, Wis./West) second goal of the season at the beginning of the second half.
Three Inferno recorded their first goals of the season, including Abby Halliburton (Waukesha, Wis./South), Tatiana Zaldua (Milwaukee, Wis./Rufus King) and Kayla Kennedy (Trempealeau, Wis./G-E-T).
"It was great to get some goals from some people who hadn't scored yet this season," said Oliveira. "It was fun to see Abby, Tati and Kayla get their first goals. It was also nice to have a chance to put some people in different positions and see how they produce there."
The Inferno, who led 5-0 at the half, rifled off 43 shots, compared to Mount Mary's four. Yet the host Blue Angels (2-9) kept suspense in the game as all four shots were on goal. Kennedy recorded two of the saves in the first half while at the net, and senior Joslyn Binkowski (Greenfield, Wis.) recorded the other two saves in the second half.
The Inferno defeated Mount Mary 7-0 in the first game of the season at Alverno on Sept. 1, and tonight's victory showed the team's development. "I think playing them for the second time, it shows -- our possession the way we combined together -- shows how much we progressed this season and how we're starting to play together," said Oliveira.
The Alverno College record for wins in a season was set in 2007, when the team finished 6-13 and 1-11 in the Northern Athletics Conference. This season's team is already 2-4 in the NAC with six conference games remaining on the schedule.
One of those games is this Saturday versus Marian University in Fond du Lac, Wis., where coach Oliveira is looking forward to the challenge.
"We're expecting a very tough game on Saturday," she said. "If we come out and play to our potential, we will give them a battle and it will be a game. We just need be ready to play from the beginning."
Seven may be the team's lucky number, perhaps a bit sooner than expected.
"I think we accomplished getting to this point a little bit sooner than we anticipated," said Oliveira. "But at the same time it's one of our goals for the year, so we're not done trying to get there."
