Nov. 2, 2008,
Lake Forest, Ill.
Lake Forest 3, Monmouth 2 (7-8-3, 3-5-1)
The Fighting Scots finished the season with a strong effort
against the playoff-bound Foresters but suffered their fifth
one-goal loss of the year. Lauren Vana provided a spark
when her first-half corner kick sailed directly into the net
five minutes into the game, but Lake Forest responded midway
through the half on a long shot by Emily Weber. The hosts then
took a 2-1 halftime lead when they scored again 10 minutes
later. Weber struck again in the 68th minute to give Lake Forest
some breathing room, but another Vana corner kick resulted in a
goal just 1:17 later when her cross was nodded in by Becca
Baur, making the score 3-2. Monmouth battled hard over the
final 21 minutes but could not find the equalizer.
Nov. 1, 2008,
Beloit, Wis.
Beloit 2, Monmouth 0 (7-7-3, 3-4-1)
Although the Fighting Scots rarely scored goals in bunches in
their 2008 season, they usually at least scored, but that was
not the case against a Buccaneer team that had proven to be very
stingy against strong conference teams this fall. Monmouth
nearly had a goal just 10 seconds into the match, but a header
in front of an unguarded net sailed over the bar. The Scots also
missed a great look in the final minute of the match. In the 88
minutes in between, though, Beloit didn't offer Monmouth many
good opportunities. Meanwhile, the Bucs capitalized on a miscue
in the back to score in the 29th minute on one of their two
first-half shots. They then headed in a corner kick in the 63rd
minute. Forced to play some serious catch up at that point, the
Scots moved to a more aggressive formation, but they could not
get the goal they needed to make a comeback possible.
Oct. 26, 2008,
Mt. Vernon, Iowa
Monmouth
2, Cornell 1 (7-6-3)
Mother Nature and the Fighting Scots combined to make coach
Barry McNamara's 50th victory at Monmouth a memorable one.
The game was played in a relentless wind that was listed as 36
miles per hour in the box score. The Scots had it at their back
first and, despite an 11-1 edge in shots and a 6-0 advantage in
corner kicks, could not put a ball in the back of the net. It
seemed inevitable that a team playing with the gale at its back
would score, and the host Rams did early in the second half. A
1-0 lead has rarely seemed so insurmountable, but the Scots were
up to the challenge, as senior Sarah Kisner scored the
equalizer in the 66th minute. From there, the coaching staff was
content to play for a tie and get one more chance with the wind
in overtime, but freshman Kelly Russell had other ideas,
scoring with just 3:36 left in the game off Amy Unzicker's assist
to give Monmouth a memorable come-from-behind victory.
Oct. 23, 2008,
Monmouth, Ill.
Monmouth
6, Knox 0 (6-6-3, 3-3-1)
The Fighting Scots got back to even on the season in the
conference and overall with their fifth shutout of the season.
Megan Meeke opened the scoring on a first touch shot off
of Amy Unzicker's pass in the 16th minute. Freshman
Molly Ball tacked on her first collegiate goal with a
left-footed blast through a crowded penalty box to make the
halftime score 2-0. Becca Baur's solid strike found the
upper right corner for a 3-0 lead 15 minutes into the second
half and Sarah Kisner and Meeke followed with goals
minutes later. The goal by Kisner was fitting, as it came during
a Senior Day game that was the last home contest of her career.
The senior co-captain had been honored at halftime and followed
with her seventh goal of the season and 28th of her career. Junior Ashley Swenson completed the scoring in the final
minute, and it was her first goal as a Fighting Scot, as well. A
record 32 players saw action for Monmouth, which outshot Knox
35-0.
Oct. 19, 2008,
De Pere, Wis.
St. Norbert 5, Monmouth
1 (5-6-3, 2-3-1)
The host Green Knights rode the scoring of star forward Jessica
Schradrie to a four-goal victory that had the makings of a much
closer game. Schradrie netted a hat trick to boost her total to
21 goals on the year. Her first goal made it 2-0, and the
Knights added another score six minutes later. From that point,
Monmouth controlled play for nearly 45 minutes. Emily
Shoemaker got one of the goals back on an assist from
Emily Caron, and the Scots had two other good first half
scoring opportunities turned away by St. Norbert's goalie. In
the second half, a Shoemaker free kick caromed off the crossbar,
and an Erica Kurth attempt was saved off the line by a
defender. The Scots' momentum was finally halted in the last 15
minutes when Schradrie clinched the outcome with her final two
goals of the game. Monmouth outshot St. Norbert 14-10, including
an 8-4 edge with the wind in the second half.
Oct. 18, 2008,
Appleton, Wis.
Lawrence 1, Monmouth
0 OT (5-5-3, 2-2-1)
The Fighting Scots slipped back to the .500 mark with a
heartbreaking loss to the Vikings. After a slow start,
Monmouth's play picked up considerably, and the Scots created
more scoring chances than their hosts. That was particularly
true in the second half, when Monmouth posted a 17-6 edge in
shots and had two close range attempts by Megan Meeke
turned away by the Vikings' goalie. Tied at 0-0, the game went
to overtime. Lawrence created a dangerous opportunity six
minutes in and a Monmouth foul led to a penalty kick, which the
Vikings converted for a walk-off win despite a 26-13 deficit in
shots for the game.
Oct. 12, 2008,
Monmouth, Ill.
Monmouth
5, Ripon 0 (5-4-3, 2-1-1)
The Fighting Scots started off strong with a goal in the first
3:34 and went into Fall Break in style with their third shutout
win in their last four games. Megan Meeke did the opening
honors off Amy Unzicker's assist, and the sophomore
midfielder scored a similar goal, this time assisted by
Brittney Parker, in the 32nd minute to make it 3-0. In
between was a left-footed blast by Sarah Kisner which
moved her into third place all-time on Monmouth's goal scoring
list. The senior captain has 27 for her career, trailing only
Amy Horneck and Tisha Kimoto. The Scots added to their 3-0
halftime lead with goals by Unzicker and Becca Baur off
assists from Niki Sue Williams and Molly Ball.
Monmouth out-shot Ripon 29-8 in the game.
Oct. 11, 2008,
Monmouth, Ill.
Monmouth
2, Carroll 2 2OT (4-4-3, 1-1-1)
In an exciting game that featured end-to-end
action, the Fighting Scots hung on for a tie against last year's
MWC champions. Monmouth had the upper hand early, scoring the
first two goals. Sweeper Britnney Parker knocked home
Lauren Vana's corner kick just 6:47 into the game and then Sarah Kisner's set piece off
Becca Baur's assist made it 2-0 five minutes later. Despite a Carroll goal
off a corner kick in the 17th minute, first half momentum continued
the Scots' way when Niki Sue Williams was taken down on a
breakway and Carroll's sweeper was given a red card. Monmouth
protected its one-goal lead for much of the game, but in the
79th minute, a deflected pass came to the feet of Carroll's Liz
Melcher, who knocked in her second goal of the match. Neither
team could break the tie through the rest of regulation and two
10-minute overtime periods. The teams combined for 46 fouls in
the hard-fought game, and Carroll outshot the Scots 21-14.
Oct. 6, 2008,
Eureka, Ill.
Monmouth
3, Eureka 0 (4-4-2)
The Fighting
Scots posted their second straight shutout in similar fashion.
Despite having more possession than their opponent, the Scots
found themselves clinging to a slim 1-0 lead at halftime thanks
to an Amy Unzicker goal assisted by Sarah Kisner
in the 14th minute. As the second half wore on, the score
remained the same, but that changed for Monmouth when Niki
Sue Williams entered the lineup. The sophomore forward
provided the necessary spark, scoring less than seven minutes
after she entered the game to provide some much-appreciated
breathing room. The Scots then capped the scoring on Unzicker's
second goal of the game with 10 minutes left. Monmouth posted a
33-3 advantage in shots, and goalkeeper Sarah Wintersteen
had her first complete game shutout of the season.
Oct. 4, 2008, Monmouth, Ill.
Monmouth
4, Illinois College 0 (3-4-2, 1-1)
For the second straight game, four
different Fighting Scots scored goals, and this time it added up
to Monmouth's first conference win of the season. The Scots
struggled to find the range early, but once Megan Meeke
opened the scoring shortly before halftime with her first goal
of the season off of Hillary Broms' assist, two more soon
followed. Sarah Kisner headed home Lauren Vana's
corner to make the score 2-0 in the 57th minute and,
two minutes later, Amy Unzicker hammered home a rebound for a
three-goal lead. Becca Baur completed the scoring off a
Whitney Ott assist, allowing her to stay tied with
Unzicker for the team lead in points. Monmouth held IC without a
shot in the second half and had a 23-2 advantage for the game.
Oct. 2, 2008, Monmouth, Ill.
Millikin 5, Monmouth
4 (2-4-2)
The visitors had the
magic touch early on, scoring on their first four chances in the
first 20 minutes. The Fighting Scots countered with one goal
during that time, a penalty kick earned by Erica Kurth
and converted by junior captain Lauren Vana. That tied
the score at 1-1 in the 10th minute, but Millikin quickly gained
a three-goal edge and stayed ahead for the rest of the game.
Monmouth was able to claw its way back into the contest, though,
as Becca Baur headed in a Vana corner early in the second
half to make the score 4-2. After Millikin netted its final
goal, Monmouth dominated the final minutes, scoring twice.
Sarah Kisner's nice pass put Amy Unzicker behind the
defense for one score, and sophomore Hillary Broms netted
her first collegiate goal a minute later. The Scots outshot the
Big Blue 12-9 for the game and 7-2 in the second half.
Sept. 28, 2008, Monmouth, Ill.
Grinnell 4, Monmouth 1 (2-3-2, 0-1)
The Fighting Scots
battled back but ultimately fell short in their conference
opener. After yielding two first-half goals to perennial MWC
power Grinnell, Monmouth struck quickly to start the second
half, winning a series of three corner kicks. On the third one,
Lauren Vana's cross was headed in by Becca Baur to
cut the Pioneers' lead to one. For the next 29 minutes, the
margin stayed at one, but Grinnell got some breathing room with
11:44 to play, knocking home a cross of their own. As the final
buzzer sounded, they added the last score of the match. Grinnell
outshot Monmouth 22-5, with MC goalkeeper Sarah Wintersteen
making seven saves.
Sept. 20, 2008, Dubuque, Iowa
Monmouth 1, Dubuque 1 2OT (2-2-2)
The Fighting Scots'
trend of playing tight games continued with a evenly-matched
battle against the host Spartans. Monmouth controlled the
opening minutes and had a few good chances to grab an early
lead, but the match remained scoreless through halftime. Early
in the second half, defender Hillary Broms made a strong
push upfield and found Sarah Kisner open in the penalty
box. The senior captain delivered a well-placed shot to put the
Scots up 1-0. Dubuque countered just seconds later after being
awarded a free kick just outside the box. The Scots blocked the
initial attempt, but the Spartans' Brenda Leal was there to
knock home the rebound from the top of the box to even the
match. Despite some decent chances, the teams then went
scoreless again for the remaining 36 minutes of regulation and
two 10-minute overtimes. On a hot afternoon, Monmouth received
strong bench efforts from several players, while defenders Broms
and Brittney Parker led the starters by playing all 110
minutes.
Sept. 14, 2008, Monmouth, Ill.
Monmouth 2, Coe 1 (2-2-1)
After more than an hour of scoreless play, the Fighting Scots capped a strong weekend by
getting the majority of the goals in a 13-minute scoring flurry. Monmouth struck first on a great
second effort goal by senior captain Sarah Kisner. Less
than a minute after the celebration had died down, Coe's Laura Steele
took a long free kick, and it floated in just under the crossbar
to give the Kohawks new life with 24 minutes to play. But Becca Baur
had the reply, scoring from point-blank range with 12:35 remaining to lift Monmouth to its second win in as many days.
Lauren Vana had an assist on the play. The Scots, who
controlled the action throughout, held an 18-3 advantage in
shots.
Sept. 13, 2008, Pella, Iowa
Monmouth 4, Central 0 (1-2-1)
In the game's ninth minute, the Fighting Scots
took their first lead of the season and increased it during the
game to pick up their first win. Amy Unzicker had the
opening scoring honors off a pass from Niki Sue Williams,
and Unzicker then assisted Becca Baur's goal three
minutes later. The Scots tacked on one more score before
halftime, with freshman Erica Kurth notching her first
collegiate goal, assisted by Megan Meeke. In the second
half, Monmouth was able to use all 24 of its field players, and
senior Sarah Kisner scored her first goal of the season
on a set play pass from Brittney Parker. Sarah
Wintersteen and Katerina Meletis shared the shutout
as Monmouth outshot Central 28-9.
Sept. 11, 2008, Monmouth, Ill.
Monmouth 1, Hannibal-LaGrange 1 2OT (0-2-1)
Forced to play catch-up soccer for the vast majority
of the game, the Fighting Scots finally achieved their goal of
putting a ball in the back of the net with just 1:49 to spare.
Monmouth allowed a goal on HLG's first threatening attack, as
Christina Schremp's well-placed shot to the far post gave her team
the lead in the 11th minute. The Scots applied offensive pressure
throughout the game and really stepped it up in the second half,
during which time they outshot the Trojans 8-3. With two minutes
remaining, the Scots attacked again, and Hillary Broms and
Lauren Vana worked the ball to Niki Sue Williams, who
took the ball in one-on-one with the goalkeeper and calmly delivered
the equalizer. In the two 10-minute overtime periods, Monmouth had
the better of play, outshooting HLG 8-4, but neither team scored.
Sept. 6, 2008, Milwaukee, Wis.
MSOE 1, Monmouth 0 2OT (0-2)
In the Fighting Scots' second straight evenly matched
contest, a corner kick goal by the host Raiders in the 101st minute
wound up being the difference. Monmouth controlled play in the first
half and nearly started the scoring when a Brittney Parker
shot was pushed just over the bar by the goalie for Milwaukee School
of Engineering. MSOE had a chance of its own, putting the ball in
the back of the net, but offsides was called on the play. In the
second half, the Raiders got behind the Scots' defense twice, once
putting the ball just over the bar. Monmouth nearly had some
late-game heroics, but a Becca Baur blast from close range
was once again saved. The Scots received strong efforts form several
players, including Megan Meeke and Whitney Ott on the
right side of the defense and Niki Sue Williams off the
bench.
Aug. 29, 2008,
Monmouth, Ill.
Elmhurst 3, Monmouth 2 (0-1)
The Fighting Scots managed to
keep the game scoreless during a very ragged start, but
ultimately allowed two first-half goals to the visiting Bluejays
in the season opener for both teams. Elmhurst's second goal came
5:20 before intermission. Monmouth's Amy Unzicker struck
back 1:38 later with a great goal as she dribbled to her right
through the top of the penalty box. The freshman cracked a shot
to the far post to lift her team's spirits entering halftime.
Unzicker scored again 8:25 into the second half, pouncing on a
loose ball that sophomore Becca Baur kept alive. Her
blast tied the score at 2-2, but Elmhurst took advantage of a
misplay in the back to net the game-winner in the 63rd minute.
The evenly-played game saw both teams fire 11 shots.
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