The Spring Arbor University women's soccer team willed itself to a second win over the weekend, downing Cedarville University 3-1 to capture the Cedarville University Invitational championship.

Senior goalkeeper/forward Christina Riske picked up right where she left off on Friday, scoring the opening goal of the contest for the Cougars just seven minutes into the match. The marker was Riske's second of the season.

Freshman midfielder Karly Linton took over from there. The 5'4 Bullock Creek native took a Kristin Abbott pass and beat a pair of Cedarville defenders to the goal, notching her first career goal in the 22nd minute of play with a right footed blast to the short post. Linton was back at it just before halftime and made three Yellowjacket defenders miss as she weaved her way through traffic at the top of the box before slotting the ball home to the far post to pick up her second tally of the game in the 43rd minute.

With a 3-0 lead Spring Arbor University head coach Jason Crist used the second half to give some of his young bench a chance to shine. SAU had a couple chances to score in the second stanza, but rode out the clock until the 88th minute when the Cougars were whistled for a foul in the box, giving Cedarville a penalty kick and a dent in the deficit, making the final score 3-1.

Spring Arbor played without the services of starting forward Maegan Smith and midfielder Jalese DeBiasi. Abbott played just ten minutes in the first half, as did senior Rachel Sinkovitz. Riske left the game in the 17th minute of play with a sprained ankle and did not return for the Cougars.

"It's fantastic that we have been able to be successful with the challenges that we have been facing," commented Crist. "We are definitely on the road to recovery, and when we are healthy I am confident we are a team to be reckoned with in the MCC."

The Cougars face Aquinas College on Wednesday in Grand Rapids.