McMINNVILLE, Ore. ā Exploding for three goals in the second half, Linfield blanked the visiting Whitman Blues 4-0 in Northwest Conference action Sunday afternoon at the Linfield Soccer Field.
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1st Half
The Wildcats were gifted a goal seven minutes into the match when Whitman goalkeeper Allie Seracuse mistakenly sent her goal kick straight to Linfield's
Kristen Burke, who placed a left-footed effort past the Blues' goalie. Burke's tally marked her second goal in as many days.
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The Blues' best opportunity to score came off the head of Sophie Brussell with 20 minutes remaining, but her attempt from 10 yards out flew beyond the goal post and the score remained 1-0.
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The Wildcat defense locked down Whitman in the opening period, limiting the Blues to just three shots.
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Making her first-ever Linfield start, netminder
Madi Reimer was not challenged by any first-half shots.
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2nd Half
Linfield found its offensive rhythm in the second stanza, netting three goals in a 10-minute span.
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Emma Smith notched her team-leading fourth goal of the season after receiving a pass from forward
Sydney Kuehn and slotting her opportunity past Seracuse in the 50th minute.
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Seven minutes later, Burke was the recipient of another nifty Kuehn pass, scoring her third goal of the season from eight yards out.
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The Wildcats capped off the scoring on a set play with 29:25 remaining on the clock. Linfield centerback
Michayla Sponsel drove in a free kick from 40 yards out, finding
Taylor Cole who flicked her attempt over Seracuse's outstretched arms.
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Linfield Ledger
In her first start, Burke upped her goal total to three, tying the freshman for second among Wildcat scorers. Kuehn's two assists tops her side this season. Reimer ended the day with three saves in her first NWC start. Linfield outshot the visitors 19-7.
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Top Blues
Seracuse ended the match with five saves. Chelsea Day attempted a team-high three shots. The Blues took five corner kicks in the match.
What It Means
Linfield moves into a two-way tie with Willamette for fourth place with a 4-3-1 NWC record. The 'Cats improve to 6-5-1 overall. Whitman falls to 1-7-1 in conference play and stands at 1-10-1 overall.
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Coming Up
The Wildcats continues their five-match homestand Friday when they host Puget Sound at the Linfield Soccer Field. In the teams' initial meeting on Sept. 16, Linfield came away with a 2-1 victory in Tacoma. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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