The Spring Arbor University women's soccer program rode a five goal first half to an eventual 7-1 MCC victory over Huntington University on Saturday.
Spring Arbor wasted no time getting on the board as sharpshooter Crissie Strohmaier got on the end of a Megan Mains pass and rifled a low shot past the HU goalkeeper in the fourth minute of play.
Defensive misfortune let Huntington even the match just 6 minutes later, as the SAU defense failed to clear a Huntington cross and the ball bounded off an SAU defender's shinguard and into the net evening the score at one all.
It was all Spring Arbor from there on however, as the Cougars let loose with an explosion of goals starting in the sixteenth minute when Strohmaier got on the end of a Becca Szopo cross and drilled it into the top of the Huntington net to put the Cougars back up by a goal.
Heather Stenglein was the next Cougar to find the net as she ran on to a ball played through the defense by Mains and was taken down from behind, earning a penalty kick, which she promptly buried, earning the Cougars a 3-1 edge in the 39th minute.
Freshman phenom Katie Sayler was next, as she ran on to another cleverly played ball by Mains and slotted the ball home in the 41st minute. Mains followed that up herself by cranking home a left footed finish from the top of the box just minutes before halftime, earning the Cougars a 5-1 advantage, and effectively putting the game out of reach.
The Cougars started the second half much the same way that they finished the first. Sayler went up in a crowd to nod home a service from senior center back Diana Humphrey after a Forester foul in the 57th minute.
Sayler completed the hat-trick just minutes later when she took a Molly Comber pass and slammed home a right footed bullet rounding out the scoring in the 64th minute.
Spring Arbor launched 27 shots on the afternoon, compared to just 2 for Huntington. Spring Arbor also enjoyed a 6-0 edge in corner kicks.
The ladies are back in action on Tuesday when they welcome WHAC leader Siena Heights University to campus for a 4 p.m. showdown.
