MILWAUKEE -- Trailing 1-0 after just 3 minutes into the game, the Alverno College soccer team scored three unanswered goals to defeat visiting University of Wisconsin-Superior 3-1 today at Alverno Field in Milwaukee. The nonconference victory marks the soccer program's first-ever win over a Wisconsin state school-- a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference member-- arguably the one of the top NCAA Division III conferences in the nation.

"To compete against the UW schools is great," Alverno head coach Brittany Nikolic said. "It's good competition for us and to beat one of them is awesome. It shows where we're moving, and what we want to do the future is to be able to compete with all the schools in that conference too."

The Inferno also tied the school record for wins in a season, now at 7-9 overall, which was set last year in Nikolic's first season at the helm.

"We're not to our goal yet, we want to set another record this year. This is one step closer, but we're not done."

The team has four games remaining in the season to see if they can add to the record.

Alverno gave up an early goal to the Yellowjackets (2-14) off a throw-in and nice setup to Mandee Akason just 2:48 into the game. But the Inferno bounced right back as Kelsey Kochanowski (Oak Creek, Wis.) found the back of the net at the 4:20 mark. Marissa Christjohn (Milwaukee/Thomas More) found Nava Moniriarani (Oak Creek, Wis.) who set up Kochanowski's 13th goal of the season.

Later in the period off a corner kick, Moniriarani again found Kochanowski for the go-ahead score. The goal was the ninth time this season the teammates have assisted one another on a score.

"Nava and Kelsey are a good duo. They have a sense for where the other one is. They play really well off of each other and play really well together. I don't know if it's because they played together in high school and they are just finding that link again, or what, but they definitely have a good sense for where the other one is and how to set each other up."

With about 8 minutes to go in the half, freshman Kelly Rooney (New Berlin, Wis./West) netted her second career goal as Kochanowski and Moniriarani connected to set her up for the score. Her shot from the right side of the box ricocheted off UW-Superior's goalkeeper into the net to put the Inferno up 3-1.

"We're making better runs off the ball. There's better movement and were able to keep possession more, which is what we work on daily. So to see it pay off in a game like this is exciting."

It was Moniriarani's third assist of the game, tying the single-game school record, but was also her 10th of the season, which sets a new single-season mark at Alverno. Ellie LaFond, the school's all-time points leader, set the previous record of nine assists last season.

Rookie goalkeeper Samantha Robinson (Pleasant Prairie, Wis./Tremper) recorded seven saves for the Inferno, and recorded her fifth win as goalkeeper, a single-season record at Alverno.

The Inferno hit the road to take on two of the top teams in the Northern Athletics Conference this weekend. They face defending champion Aurora University on Friday at 3 p.m. and then Edgewood College at 11 a.m. on Saturday.