Kent State Earns Dominating 7-3 Victory over NIU
10/4/2015 4:10:00 PM | Women's Soccer
KENT, Ohio – The Kent State soccer team downed Northern Illinois, 7-3, in a shootout on Sunday afternoon at Zoeller Field. Sophomore Donovan Capehart tallied a hat-trick to lead the Golden Flashes who improved to 7-3-2 and 2-1-0 in Mid-American Conference play. Northern Illinois dropped to 2-9-0 overall and 1-3-0 in conference play.
With the win Kent State won its second game in a row and the Golden Flashes improved their unbeaten home record to 4-0-1.
After a goal by Northern Illinois' Taylor Sarver in the 18th minute gave the Huskies a 1-0 lead, Kent State junior Jenna Hellstrom scored her team leading ninth goal to even the score at 1-1 less than two minutes later. Hellstrom's goal got things rolling for Kent State as they jumped out to a 4-1 half-time lead in what turned out to be an intense high scoring affair.
Sophomore Hayden Pascoe gave Kent State the lead with a quick goal in the 22nd minute and the Golden Flashes did not look back the rest of the afternoon. Pascoe took a leading pass at the top of the 18-yard box from sophomore Kristen Brots with just the goalkeeper to beat. Pascoe took one touch and then slipped a low shot past Northern Illinois goalkeeper Amy Annala.
Freshman Paige Culver added a third goal for the Golden Flashes in the 28th minute and sophomore Karli Paracca scored her third goal of the season in the 44th minute that gave Kent State a 4-1 half-time lead. Culver's goal was the first of her collegiate career.
Capehart scored all three of her goals in the second-half for the Golden Flashes. After Nicole Gobbo scored a goal for the Huskies at the 59:11 mark to bring the score to 4-2, Capehart answered with her first goal of the day 40 seconds later to give the Golden Flashes another insurance goal.
Capehart received a pass from Hellstrom in front of goal and put it past Huskies goalkeeper Mackenzie Lee. Capehart's second goal of the afternoon came off of a rebound in the 6-yard box in the 83rd minute and the hat-trick topping goal came at the 85:50 mark.
Capehart picked up a loose ball 30-yards out from the goal in the middle of the field and was one on one with the Northern Illinois goalkeeper Mackenzie Lee. Once inside the 19-yard box Capehart struck a low shot into the lower left corner that found the back of the net.
Kent State dominated the all the statistical categories of Sunday's contest. The Golden Flashes had a 23-11 advantage in shots, and had 15 shots on goal. Kent State also outworked Northern Illinois for a 5-0 advantage in corner kicks.
Kent State is back in action on Friday, October 9th at 4 p.m. when it travels to play Ball State.
Team Stats

SARVER, Taylor
Assisted By: GOBBO, Nicole
13 played it up to 4, 4 slipped it past
17:18

HELLSTROM, Jenna (9)
Assisted By: PASCOE, Hayden , CULVER, Paige
5 beats defense, sends ball up to 23 who
19:37

PASCOE, Hayden (3)
Assisted By: BROTS, Kristen , EIBEN, Jaime
12 sends up ball, 5 goes 1v1 with goalie
21:43

CULVER, Paige (1)
Assisted By: HELTERBRAN, Madison
GOAL by KENT CULVER, Paige, Assist by HELTERBRAN, Madison, goal number 1 for season.
27:39

PARACCA,Karli (3)
rebound off goalkeeper
43:58

GOBBO, Nicole
Assisted By: GIERMAN, Lauren
GOAL by NIU GOBBO, Nicole, Assist by GIERMAN, Lauren.
49:11

CAPEHART, Doni (5)
Assisted By: HELLSTROM, Jenna , BROTS, Kristen
GOAL by KENT CAPEHART, Doni, Assist by HELLSTROM, Jenna and BROTS, Kristen, goal number 5 for season.
49:51

GIERMAN, Lauren
NIU GIERMAN, Lauren PENALTY KICK GOAL.
61:57

CAPEHART, Doni (6)
GOAL by KENT CAPEHART, Doni, goal number 6 for season.
82:21

CAPEHART, Doni (7)
Assisted By: LAWSON, Abbie
Beats defender and goes 1 v1 with goalie
85:50