ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Augustana overcame a 3-0 deficit Saturday and roared back to post a 19-10 win over Wisconsin-River Falls at Thorson-Lucken Field. Coach C.J. Holder's squad improved to 3-2 on the season, while the Falcons fell to 2-3.

 

It was all River Falls early, as the visitors got two Gina Jablonski goals and one from Reilly Springman to take a 3-0 lead seven minutes in. Carla Bennett (Marian Catholic HS, South Holland, Ill.) got the Vikings on the board with a goal at 17:27, but Emma Kohlbeck answered 40 seconds later off an assist from Sophia Leong and the Falcons led 4-1 at the midway point of the first half.
 
The rest of the period was a different story. Christina McCabe (Maine South HS, Park Ridge, Ill.) scored at the 14:53 mark and, after a Kathryn Hettiger (Carmel HS, Carmel, Ind.) goal made it 4-3, scored twice more to give Augustana its first lead. Jablonski tied it one final time at 5-5, but McCabe and Hettiger each scored again and the hosts had the lead for good.
 
UWRF's Emma Kohlbeck scored with 3:42 left, but McCabe tallied her fifth goal in a 13-minute span and Bennet added a score with a minute remaining that sent the teams to the locker room with the Vikings on top 9-6.
 
Bailey Aasen (Park HS, Cottage Park, Minn.) and Emily Lucnik (Schaumberg HS, Schaumburg, Ill.) sandwiched goals around one by Jablonski, as Augustana extended its lead to 11-7 in the first seven minutes of the second half. The Vikings pushed it to 14-7 with a goal by Hettiger and two by McCabe, all in span of 3½ minutes.
 
Holder's bunch ran clock in the final 15 minutes and continued to build on its lead. Lucnik and Hettiger each scored twice more and Bennett once to round out the Vikings' scoring.
 
McCabe tallied seven goals for the second game in a row, while Hettiger added five and Bennett and Lucnik three apiece. Bennett dished out three assists and McCabe a pair. Bennett controlled seven draws and she and Cassie Kruse (Hinsdale Central HS, Clarendon Hills, Ill.) caused two turnovers each. Goalie Courtney Veitch (Lake Zurich HS, Hawthorn Woods, Ill.) recorded eight saves on the day and led Augustana with five ground balls.
 
Jablonski led the Falcons with four goals and Ashley Olson recorded 10 saves in goal.
 
The Vikings are back in action on Sunday, March 24, hosting Adrian in a noon contest at Thorson-Lucken Field.