Box Score

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Augustana extended its lead in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin Wednesday by defeating North Central 12-8 at Thorson-Lucken Field. The Vikings, who came in a half-game up in the league standings, improved to 7-5 on the season and 4-0 in the conference. The Cardinals, who started the night a half-game back, fell to 9-5 overall and 2-1 in the CCIW.
 
Coach C.J. Durham's squad led 4-0 after 17-plus minutes and 6-1 with less than seven minutes remaining in the first half. After 10 scoreless minutes, senior Olivia Mayer (Libertyville HS, Green Oaks, Ill.) tallied the first two Augustana goals, the second of which was assisted by classmate Anne Hopkins (Mother McAuley HS, Chicago, Ill.). Mayer returned the favor on a Hopkins goal at 15:56 of the first period and sophomore Emily Lucnik (Schaumburg HS, Schaumburg, Ill.) scored a free position goal at the 12:44 mark for a 4-0 Viking lead.
 
Emily Zadny got North Central on the board at 12:08, but Mayer's free position goal and a Hopkins-to-Christina McCabe (Maine South HS, Park Ridge, Ill.) score pushed the advantage to 6-1 9:09 before halftime. The teams traded goals the rest of the period, with Zadny and Nelle Scranton scoring for the Cardinals and McCabe (again from Hopkins) and Hopkins answering to give Augustana an 8-3 halftime lead.
 
The sides continued to trade goals in the first part of the second half. Madison Maas, twice, and Jessica Deetjen scored for the visitors, but each was answered by a Viking goal, with sophomore Carla Bennett (Marian Catholic HS, South Holland, Ill.), Hopkins and McCabe each finding the net. McCabe's goal, which put Augustana up 11-6, came on a breakaway following a Cardinal turnover.
 
Hopkins' goal with 11:13 remaining gave the Vikings a 12-6 margin and marked the first time in 28 minutes of play that either team had tallied consecutive goals. North Central's Maas and Kassie Whaling scored the game's final two goals, with Augustana effectively running clock over the final 10 minutes.
 
Hopkins finished the night with four goals and three assists. Mayer and McCabe each scored three times and Mayer added an assist and game highs of five ground balls and four draw controls. Junior Analia Fowler (York HS, Elmhurst, Ill.) started in goal and went 43 minutes, stopping three Cardinal shots and earning the win to improve to 6-4 on the season.
 
Augustana enjoyed advantages of 27-15 in shots, 21-18 in ground balls and 12-10 in draw controls. The Vikings converted 12 of 15 clears, to nine of 17 for North Central and had 13 turnovers to 18 for the visitors.
 
Durham's squad is back in action on April 22, traveling to Elmhurst to face the Bluejays in a 4:00 p.m. contest.