Box Score

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Augustana overcame a slow start Wednesday, but used some stifling defense early in the second half to eventually roll to a 16-7 win over Carthage in the teams' CCIW Tournament semifinal at Thorson-Lucken Field. The Vikings improved to 16-2 on the year and advanced to Saturday's title game against Illinois Wesleyan. The Lady Reds dropped to 10-6 on the year.
 
Augustana couldn't shake the visitors in the early going. After Kendall Maduro (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville, Ill.) scored consecutive goals barely a half minute apart, the Vikings led 3-1 with 21 minutes left in the half. However, the teams traded the next six goals over a span of 17 minutes.
 
Carthage's Rachel Mussell scored with 7:36 left in the half to get the Lady Red to within 5-4, but senior Rebecca Pollard (Westfield HS, Carmel, Ind.) scored off a Maduro assist at the 4:17 mark. That started a string of four straight Augustana goals to close the half. Tallies by Emily Handrahan (Lake Zurich HS, Hawthorn Woods, Ill.), Pollard again and finally Shelby Cosman (Marian Catholic HS, St. John, Ind.) pushed the margin to 9-4 at the break.
 
Junior Olivia Mayer scored off a Kaylee Nolan (Sandburg HS, Orland Park, Ill.) assist less than a minute into the second half. The score stayed 10-4 for nearly 12 minutes until an Anne Hopkins (Mother McAuley HS, Chicago, Ill.) goal with 16:56 to play.
 
Meanwhile, the Augustana defense denied the Lady Reds a shot attempt for the first 15-plus minutes of the second stanza. Finally, with 14:38 to play, Viking goalie Jenna Hofmann (Columbine HS, Littleton, Colo.) was called for a foul, leaving Mussell an open net on her free position attempt, which she converted to snap a 23-minute Carthage scoring drought.
 
Augustana responded with five straight goals to initiate a running clock. Nolan and Hopkins each scored twice in the spurt. The Lady Reds had the final two tallies to account for the final.
 
The Vikings outshot Carthage by a 29-19 margin, led 23-17 in ground balls and controlled 15 of 25 draws.
 
Hopkins scored four goals, while Nolan and Maduro added three each. Mayer had two goals and a game-high four assists and Pollard a pair of goals and three helpers. Nolan had seven draw controls and senior Nellie Bubb (Holy Family HS, Excelsior, Minn.) led Augustana with six ground balls and three caused turnovers.
 
Coach Meredith Newman's club will take on Illinois Wesleyan (15-3) for the CCIW Tournament championship on Saturday, May 7. First draw at Thorson-Lucken Field is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. The Vikings won the first matchup this year, 16-2 in Bloomington, Illinois on April 9.