ANN ARBOR, MI – Spring Arbor University's women's soccer jumped out to a very quick 1-0 lead with a goal in the second minute of the game when Shannon Balcer connected on a header from a corner kick from Becca Lynn and got things started for SAU.
The Cougars scored three goals in nine minutes in the second half to jump out to a 4-0 lead and Coach Jason Crist emptied his bench, in the heat, and would end up winning the match 4-2 Goals were scored by Corrie Good, Karly Linton, and Samantha Sturgeon.
The win is Crist's 200 career victory, a rarity in soccer. Crist is eighth among active coaches in the NAIA and fifth in winning percentage.
"I feel very fortunate to have been able to experience the success that we have been able to build in our program here at Spring Arbor University," said Crist. "It's exciting to be a competitive program. More significant to me are the players who have touched my life and the lives of my family along the way. I am lucky to work at an institution where I can proudly share my Christian faith with my players and be daily challenged and encouraged by their spiritual journeys as well. There have been many great relationships and fantastic memories forged along the way. Those are the wins in my book. My life is continually enriched and breathed into by the people that I get to work alongside daily. What could be more rewarding than that"?
As for tonight's game, the Cougars outshot the Cardinals 20-8 with the majority coming in the first half of play. Five Cougars got off three shots each including Balcer, Linton, Ashley DeNio, Brooklyn Morgan, and Nikki Bonnema.
The win lifts Spring Arbor to 3-2-1 on the season and Concordia falls to 5-3. Spring Arbor will travel to Bourbonnais, IL to participate in the Olivet Nazarene University Tournament on September 13-14. The Lady Cougars will play ONU on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. and the next day will play the University of St. Francis (IL) at 5:00 p.m.
