Nov. 1, 2009, Monmouth, Ill.
Lake Forest 3, Monmouth 0 (6-11-1, 4-4-1)
After being one of the prime difference-makers the day before, goalkeeper Katerina Meletis also figured in the outcome vs. the Foresters. While making yet another challenging save, Meletis injured her knee just seven minutes into the match, and the Scots were forced to play midfielder Natalie Rotz in goal for the remainder of the game, her first action between the posts in three years of college soccer. Rotz rose to the occasion, making four saves, but the Foresters also scored on two corner kicks to deal the Scots a disappointing season-ending setback. Emily Weber headed in both corners, with her first coming in the 38th minute to give the Foresters a 1-0 halftime lead. The Scots had outshot Lake Forest 6-5 in the first half and were still very much in the game, but that changed quickly in the second half when Lisa Sorensen scored on a nice one-on-one move two minutes in the half and Weber added her second goal five minutes later. Lake Forest, which outshot Monmouth 13-10 in the game, moves on to the MWC playoffs, while the Scots settled for a tie for fifth in the league. Seniors Emily Caron, Jessie Fetherling, Lisa Fetherling, Whitney Ott, Lauren Vana and Holly White all saw action in the final games of their MC careers.

Oct. 31, 2009, Monmouth, Ill.
Monmouth 2, Beloit 0 (6-10-1, 4-3-1)
An opportunistic offense and a defense led by goalkeeper Katerina Meletis lifted the Fighting Scots to a crucial victory that kept them alive for the playoffs. Molly Ball jumped on a loose ball in the penalty box and drove a shot past Beloit's goalie to put Monmouth on the board in the 17th minute. The teams combined for 14 first-half shots, but that was the only one to go in, and the Scots led 1-0 at intermission. In the second half, a textbook counterattack gave Monmouth some breathing room. Beloit nearly tied the game on a corner kick, but once the Scots were able to clear the ball from the goalmouth, they got it to Amy Unzicker, who sped up the field along the right sideline. Nearing Beloit's penalty box, she passed to Katie Fluegel, and Fluegel's left-footed shot found the back of the net for a 2-0 lead with 34:51 remaining. Monmouth then went into a defensive mode, and Meletis made the strategy pay off. Several of her nine saves were spectacular, preserving the shutout and lifting Monmouth into a do-or-die battle with Lake Forest in its regular season finale. 

Oct. 27, 2009, Galesburg, Ill.
Monmouth 6, Knox 2 (5-10-1, 3-3-1)
Two goals by Camille San German in the first 2:06 of the match lifted the Fighting Scots past an improved team from Knox. The freshman's first career goals bettered Monmouth's previous best 1-2 scoring punch to start a game, when Audrey Bellefeuille scored twice vs. Knox in the first 2:08 in 2004. Amy Unzicker assisted one of the goals and, midway through the first half, she delivered her own pair of quick scores, finding the back of the net twice in a 1:40 span to give Monmouth a 4-0 lead with 14:30 on the clock. A few minutes later, the Prairie Fire headed in a corner kick to make the halftime score 4-1. In a back and forth second half, Molly Ball volleyed in an Unzicker cross and Becca Baur first-timed an Emily Shoemaker corner to offset another Knox goal. The victory keeps Monmouth's playoff hopes alive heading into the final weekend of the regular season. 

Oct. 25, 2009, Monmouth, Ill.
Monmouth 1, Cornell 0 (4-10-1)
The Fighting Scots celebrated Senior Day with a shutout victory over the Rams, their fifth straight one-goal win over their foes from Iowa. Six seniors were in the opening lineup for the Scots, including Jessie Fetherling and Lisa Fetherling, who made their first collegiate starts. Lauren Vana, MC's 15th leading scorer all time, also started, but Claudia Gomez missed the game with an injury. The team's other seniors -- Emily Caron, Whitney Ott and Holly White -- played the vast majority of the game, and Ott established a new school record by playing in her 67th game, all of them starts. It was an Ott free kick that got the ball going in the right direction for the only score of the game. Her kick came down near the edge of the penalty box and was ultimately won by Amy Unzicker, whose left-footed shot floated over the goalkeeper's head and into the back of the net in the 63rd minute. Monmouth outshot Cornell 24-8 in the game, including seven shots for Molly Ball, and goalkeeper Katerina Meletis posted her second shutout of the season.

Oct. 18, 2009, Monmouth, Ill.
Lawrence 4, Monmouth 1 (3-10-1, 2-3-1)
For the second straight day, the Fighting Scots followed a similar formula, trailing 2-1 in the second half in an evenly-matched game before giving up late goals while trying desperately to get the equalizer. The visiting Vikings scored against the flow of play to take a 1-0 halftime lead despite a 13-3 edge in shots for Monmouth. A long goal by LU's Jordan Holmes in the 55th minute opened up a two-goal lead and also knocked MC goalkeeper Katerina Meletis from the game. The Scots continued to battle and drew back within a goal on Molly Ball's first score of the season, assisted by Hillary Broms. With the clock winding down and the Scots pressed forward, the Vikings' Mallory Koula broke free twice in the final six minutes to account for the final score.  

Oct. 17, 2009, Monmouth, Ill.
St. Norbert 4, Monmouth 1 (3-9-1, 2-2-1)
Two-time MWC Offensive Player of the Year Jessica Schadrie scored the key goal to lift her team past the Fighting Scots. In the first half, Monmouth goalkeeper Katerina Meletis saved a difficult Schadrie shot, only to have St. Norbert's Ann Maki knock in the rebound for a 1-0 haltime lead. Schadrie made the score 2-0 in the 58th minute, but the Scots weren't done yet. Berenice Martinez was taken down in the penalty box, and Becca Baur converted the ensuing penalty kick to bring Monmouth back within a goal with 26:39 remaining. However, Schadrie slipped free less than a minute later, and her second goal of the game gave the Green Knights a lead too steep for the Scots to overcome. Monmouth edged St. Norbert 15-14 in shots and forced the Knights' goalie to make eight saves.

Oct. 11, 2009, Waukesha, Wis.
Carroll 6, Monmouth 0 (3-8-1, 2-1-1)
Both in terms of quality and quantity, the Fighting Scots did not match up with the league-leading Pioneers on their home turf. The Scots, already hampered by several injuries, were dealt another blow when goalkeeper Sarah Wintersteen went down on the play that led to the Pioneers' second goal. The Scots finished with just four healthy bodies on the bench, while Carroll was able to get 24 players onto the field. As for quality, the Scots couldn't slow down the Pioneers' Cody Callender, who boosted her goal total to 16 by tallying four times, including the first two goals of the game. 

Oct. 10, 2009, Ripon, Wis.
Monmouth 4, Ripon 1 (3-7-1, 2-0-1)
The word of the day was "flurry." The Fighting Scots were greeted by snow flurries as they pulled up to the Red Hawks' home field, and the wind-blown snow came down for about an hour. When it stopped, a flurry of Scots' goals ensued, as Monmouth scored four times in a span of 25 minutes to post their best offensive output of the season. Becca Baur started the run in the 15th minute with her first goal of the year, a 30-yard blast that caught Ripon's goalkeeper off her line. Kerry Kost followed eight minutes later with a rocket from outside the box, and the Scots then tacked on two important insurance goals, as Emily Shoemaker and Baur scored 40 seconds apart. The four-goal margin was appreciated after halftime, as Ripon had the wind and the better of play. The hosts scored in the 61st minute and had four other second-half shots that required saves from goalkeeper Sarah Wintersteen, whose biggest save of the match came on a breakaway early in the game when it was still tied 0-0. The defense, which played another solid game, was led by senior stopper Emily Caron.

Oct. 3, 2009, Jacksonville, Ill.
Monmouth 1, Illinois College 0 (2-7-1, 1-0-1)
A solid first half, which saw the Fighting Scots hold the host Lady Blues without a shot, kept Monmouth unbeaten in MWC play to start the season. In the 32nd minute, Kerry Kost ran onto a touch pass by Lauren Vana, brought it under control and fired it past IC's goalie for what would turn out to be the only goal of the game. The Scots had some other chances throughout the match, including a header that Vana flicked just over the crossbar, and they also dodged a few bullets. The Lady Blues were credited with four second-half shots and had a couple other chances denied, as well, including a corner kick that was up for grabs in the goalmouth in the closing seconds. In her first varsity start, Scots' goalkeeper Katerina Meletis got the shutout, coming up with several big plays in the second half.
 
Sept. 30, 2009, Bloomington, Ill.
Illinois Wesleyan 3, Monmouth 0 (1-7-1)
The Fighting Scots battled hard against a host Titans team that entered the evening ranked fifth in the nation. Monmouth surrendered an early goal when a deflected shot found the back of the net, and the Scots allowed a second score shortly before halftime, but not without a fight. Goalkeeper Sarah Wintersteen blocked Elizabeth Sinclair's penalty kick and then saved the rebound attempt before Sinclair was finally able to push the ball past the goal line on her third try. In the second half, Monmouth continued to battle, yielding only a hard-luck goal in the 60th minute. Playing in her hometown, Wintersteen made 10 saves.

Sept. 26, 2009, Grinnell, Iowa
Monmouth 1, Grinnell 1 2 OT (1-6-1, 0-0-1)
A total team effort for 110 minutes got the Fighting Scots off to a great start in their Midwest Conference season. Monmouth had lost all 18 previous meetings against Grinnell, but the result was different this time around, and it could have even been better. Lauren Vana's lofted shot went off the crossbar in the first minute of the second half, and Becca Baur also found iron on a well-struck free kick a few minutes later. Finally, Katie Fluegel got Monmouth on the board, sending in a left-footed shot off the far post to tie the score at 1-1 in the 62nd minute. Kerry Kost was credited with the assist. Grinnell had opened the scoring in the first half in the 14th minute as Miki Nakamura found the back of the net on one of the Pioneers' two first-half shots. Goalkeeper Sarah Wintersteen stopped a point-blank shot by Nakamura in the second half for one of her five saves. Defensively, Hillary Broms, Emily Caron, Whitney Ott and Brittney Parker combined to play all but seven minutes as the Scots held the Pioneers to just 12 shots while manufacturing 13 of their own.

Sept. 24, 2009, Greenville, Ill.
Greenville 5, Monmouth 0 (1-6)
The Fighting Scots had their moments against the host Panthers, but not until a very poor start put the contest out of reach. The Scots surrendered two goals on Greenville's first three shots in the first three minutes, then out-shot the hosts 11-10 the rest of the way. Greenville added a goal in the 33rd minute to take a 3-0 halftime lead, and Mindy Siebert, who already had two goals, knocked in a couple more in the second half to complete the scoring.  

Sept. 19, 2009, Monmouth, Ill.
Central 3, Monmouth 2 OT (1-5)
After failing to deliver the knockout blow on several occasions, the Fighting Scots saw the visiting Dutch celebrate a golden goal in the second minute of overtime. Monmouth out-shot Central 14-3 in the first half, which ended in a 0-0 tie. The Scots continued to generate chances in the second half, but it was the Dutch who scored first on a rebound at the top of the 18. Two minutes later, Kerry Kost slipped free in front of the goal and scored on a nice pass from Lauren Vana to tie the game, but Central forged ahead again on a free kick goal in the 63rd minute. Once more, the Scots answered, with Amy Unzicker taking a nice pass from Holly White, beating her defender, and blasting in a medium-range shot to tie the match at 2-2. The Scots would outshoot Central 16-5 in the second half and then had a close shot by Hillary Broms turned away in overtime before the Dutch counterattacked for their game-winning score.

Sept. 15, 2009, Monmouth, Ill.
Dubuque 2, Monmouth 0 (1-4)
The location changed, as the Fighting Scots played their home opener, but the result was similar to games Monmouth has played on the road to start the season. Despite a 17-9 edge in shots, the Scots could not put a ball in the back of the net, while the visiting Spartans scored one in each half off the foot of Ashly Hamilton. Her first goal at the 18:30 mark came after Monmouth had controlled much of the early play, and she gave Dubuque some breathing room with her other tally in the 75th minute. The Scots' two best chances were turned away in the second half by the Spartans' Natalie Baker, who tipped a shot by Hillary Broms over the bar and made a point-blank save off the foot of Whitney Ott.

Sept. 13, 2009, Elmhurst, Ill.
Elmhurst 3, Monmouth 0 (1-3)
The Fighting Scots could not overcome a shaky start that saw the Blue Jays score on their first two shots. The hosts netted a free kick goal at the 1:04 mark, then scored again just 4:30 into the match. Monmouth rebounded to play well for much of the remainder of the game, and first-half highlights included two good chances created by midfielder Lauren Vana and a fantastic defensive stop by Brittney Parker, who stood on the goal line and headed away an Elmhurst shot. In the second half, Monmouth held a 6-3 advantage in shots, including a Vana attempt that clanged off the post. On the other end, Elmhurst netted a blast from 25 yards out into the upper 90 in the 61st minute to complete the scoring.

Sept. 7, 2009, Hannibal, Mo.
Hannibal-LaGrange 3, Monmouth 2 (1-2)
Unlike the contest two days earlier vs. Coe, the Fighting Scots made the most of their scoring chances, putting in two goals on just six shots. The first came in the first half, as Kerry Kost beat the Trojans' goalkeeper to a loose ball near the top of the penalty box, knocked it almost to the end line, then scored from an extreme angle with the goalie still out of position. That lead stood until the 70th minute, when Hannibal-LaGrange's Alyssa Askew blasted a free kick goal, and HLG followed with another score a minute later to suddenly seize the lead. Monmouth forced extra time with less than a minute to play when Kelly Russell headed home Molly Ball's corner kick, but the Trojans prevailed in overtime on another Askew blast that too hot for Monmouth goalie Sarah Wintersteen to handle. Wintersteen made 11 saves as the hosts fired 24 shots. 

Sept. 5, 2009, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Coe 1, Monmouth 0 (1-1)
The Fighting Scots only allowed one shot in the second half vs. the Kohawks, but it was a costly one, as Coe's Lisa Frank slipped behind an offsides trap and converted a one-on-one breakaway vs. Monmouth goalkeeper Katerina Meletis in the 67th minute. The Scots almost answered immediately, moving briskly downfield on the kickoff to get off a quality shot, their first of several chances in the final 23 minutes. Perhaps their best opportunity was a glancing header by Whitney Ott that was impressively saved by Coe goalie Erin Ridley. For the game, Monmouth held a 16-5 edge in shots.

Sept. 1, 2009, Jacksonville, Ill.
Monmouth 3, MacMurray 0 (1-0)
It took them more than a half, but the Fighting Scots finally solved host MacMurray’s packed-in defense and put a ball in the back of the net in their season opener. Two more goals followed as Monmouth stayed unbeaten all-time against the Highlanders in five matches. Freshman Ashley Reynoso recorded the first goal, heading home a short cross from senior midfielder Lauren Vana in the 53rd minute. Four minutes later, Vana again had a helper, setting up classmate Emily Caron on the far post for a 2-0 lead. Playing in front of some hometown fans from nearby Springfield, junior Katie Zeter completed the scoring with her first varsity goal, knocking in a pass from classmate Berenice Martinez. The Scots were strong in the back and did not surrender a shot to the Highlanders.