A three goal surge in the second half propelled the Tommies women’s soccer team to a commanding 4-0 win over Bethel University on Wednesday afternoon at the St. Thomas South Field.
The Tommies blew the match open after halftime when they scored three of their four goals in a span of 18 minutes effectively burying their conference foes. Head coach Sheila McGill said the team had an easier time controlling the match following its second goal.
“A lot of times, if you can get that second goal other teams start to break down a little bit more, and they get frustrated, and I think that’s what happened. We were able to get the second goal and the momentum just slid the other way for us,” McGill said.
Sophomore forward Mallory DeBoom scored the first goal of the match in the 36th minute. A well-struck shot bounced off the hands of the leaping Bethel goalkeeper and rolled into the net.
DeBoom completed a brace when she scored on a breakaway in the 68th minute. Her second goal came eight minutes after first-year midfielder Elizabeth Luotto doubled the Tommies’ lead.
First-year midfielder Meagan Selinger capped off the victory when she pounced on a cross to score in the 78th minute.
As has been the case for most of the season, the Tommies played strong defense and limited Bethel’s scoring opportunities throughout the match. The Royals had just three shots on goal in the first half, all from long distance.
“Our defense has been so solid all year long. We have five defenders that truly rotate consistently across that back line, and there’s not a single weakness in them,” McGill said. “It’s been top notch all season.”
The win was the third consecutive shutout victory for the Tommies, who moved to 13-1-1 on the season. They scored multiple goals in a match for the first time since a 2-1 win over Concordia Moorhead on Sept. 28.
The Tommies currently sit atop the MIAC standings with three games remaining. McGill believes stringing wins together at the end of the year is crucial.
“The conference wins are enormous. The three points you get every time you step on the field and put a win in your category, it’s huge for clinching playoff spots, for clinching home field advantage. Going into that conference tournament it’s really big,” she said.
St. Thomas plays next on Saturday when they travel to St. Mary’s for a 1 p.m. matchup.
Spencer Flaten can be reached at flat6148@stthomas.edu