Box Score Nov. 1, 2013
Final Stats
VERMILLION, S.D.--South Dakota junior defender Lauren Bennett's free kick goal ended a drought and opened the floodgates in a 3-0 Coyote victory against Western Illinois Friday at the USD Soccer Complex.
Bennett's goal in the 66th minute was her first of the season and South Dakota's first score in six games. The Coyotes added two goals in the next 10 minutes en route to their sixth win this season - the most by the program in its Division I era (six seasons).
"It was amazing," said Bennett. "That was our breakthrough. We hadn't scored in four or five games, but we really connected today and the center backs did a good job staying organized."
Bennett also picked up her first assist of the season. Her pass to the middle of the field found Rebecca Sparkman, who went to Elena Tsakakis for the team's third goal. Tsakakis went between the legs of Leatherneck goalkeeper Laura Atkinson for her fourth goal of the season.
USD goalkeeper Mackenzie Viktor faced 13 shots and made four saves in recording her fourth shutout this season. Three of the team's last four losses were 1-0.
"Mackenzie has been making great saves all year and it was nice to be able to reward her," said USD head coach Mandy Green. "She came up big and played really smart today.
"This has been waiting to happen to us because we have been playing this well on the road, we really have been. We just haven't finished."
Bennett certainly did Friday. She was setup for a free kick just outside the box after teammate Danielle Anderson drew a foul dribbling towards the goal. Through one of several hard rain storms that popped up throughout the match, Bennett drilled a shot to the upper left-hand corner of the goal, slipping in the mud on her follow through and celebrated while lying on the pitch.
"It felt like we went through all four seasons weather-wise today," said Green. "I'm proud of our girls. They handled the weather against a top-four team in the conference from last season."
Freshman forward Jamie Karch scored her team-leading seventh goal of the season in the 69th minute that made it 2-0. Tsakakis stole the ball from a WIU defender and touched to Karch who, like Bennett, found the upper left-hand corner of the net. Karch's seven goals are the third-most in the Summit League this season.
The Leathernecks (7-9-2, 2-4 Summit), who fell to 1-3-1 all-time against USD, must win at Omaha Sunday and have Fort Wayne beat North Dakota State tonight to return to the Summit League Tournament. South Dakota (6-8-3, 1-5) will play its final game at noon Sunday against IUPUI.
