Box Score MILWAUKEE – Senior Erika Spanbauer scored two goals and the MSOE women's soccer team put together a complete defensive performance in shutting out Aurora 4-0 Wednesday night at Viets Field.
The Raiders (9-2-1, 4-0 NACC) defeated the Spartans (3-6-1, 2-2-1 NACC) in a rematch of the 2015 NACC Championship and extended their unbeaten streak to seven-straight matches (6-0-1).
MSOE bookended halftime with a pair of goals, with Spanbauer scoring her first goal in the 42nd minute and senior Caitlin Liddiard getting on the board in the 47th. The team's lone corner kick of the match produced the first goal, as senior Becca Keller found Spanbauer at the far post. Her header across the face of goal hit the near post and deflected into the goal to make it 1-0.
The first half was fairly evenly played with both teams asserting themselves early on. The statistics reflected that, as shots were 6-5 in favor of the Raiders.
After the intermission, however, it was another story as MSOE grabbed hold of the game early in the frame and Liddiard's quick goal was a sign of things to come. She received a pass through the heart of the Aurora defense from junior Kassidy Girmscheid and dribbled around the keeper to find herself alone in front of the goal for a tap-in.
It was all Raiders in the second half, as senior Sara Travia made it 3-0 in the 64th minute. Junior Melina Lynn slipped a through ball against the run of the defense to find Travia in the box and she had a clinical finish to the far post.
Spanbauer then capped the scoring in the 84th minute. She dribbled around and through the Spartan defense at the far side of the box, wriggled free and blasted a shot off the underside of the cross bar and into the goal to make it 4-0.
Shots went 9-1 in favor of the Red & White in the second half, as it finished with a decisive 15-6 advantage for the match.
The back line of Keller, senior Kait Riley, junior Kelsey Hailey and sophomore Shelby Namen look composed and stifled many Aurora attacks before they started, while junior Mary McFee saved all five shots that she faced for her second solo shutout of the season.
MSOE had won just one of the first 10 meetings all-time with the Spartans (1-8-1), but have now won three-straight matchups in the series.
The Raiders take a break from NACC play Saturday, hosting Carthage at 1 p.m.