PLYMOUTH, Wis. - After scoring two goals in the first half of Thursday's season-opening game at Lakeland University, the Ripon women's soccer team turned things up a notch in the second half with five more goals, en route to a 7-1 victory. That marks the third consecutive season that Ripon has won their season-opener.
The Red Hawks got on the board first in the 12th minute on a goal by
Morgan Johnson, who was assisted by
Kaylee Tadych, which would be a common theme. Tadych, who entered the game with 30 career assists in just two seasons, recorded four assists on the day, which is one shy of her own single game school record. She assisted on the second goal of the game as well, with
Paige Birschbach doing the scoring honors.
Tadych also proved she could put the ball in the net, scoring her first goal of the year in the 48th minute on an assist from freshman
Abbie Maule. Two and a half minutes later, Birschbach netted her second goal of the contest on a Penalty Kick. Less than one minute after that, Birschbach completed her fifth career hat trick, which is one shy of the school record, on an assist from Tadych. Ripon scored their third goal in a two-minute span just seconds later when Tadych found freshman
Paige Pierce for her first goal as a Red Hawk. Lakeland would score their only goal in the 76th minute, but Ripon answered with minutes remaining on Pierce's second of the day, assisted by fellow first-year player
Kate Kabacinski.
Birschbach's latest hat trick gives her 30 career goals, which moves her into fifth place in program history. Tadych's goal moves her into a tie for 10th in school history with the 17th of her career, while her four assists gives her 34, which is now 12 more than the next highest career total.
Ripon Goal Keepers
Miye Aoki-Kramer,
Diana Meredith and
Jessica Bykowski combined for four saves on the day, while Lakeland recorded six saves between Mikenzie Haworth and Zeni Yacab.
The Red Hawks will try to keep their momentum going on Saturday when they'll play their home opener against Maranatha Baptist at 1 p.m.
Â