Kent State Earns Dominating 7-3 Victory over NIU

Sunday, October 4

1:00 p.m.

Kent State University

7-3-2, 3-1-0

Northern Illinois University

2-9-0, 1-3-0

Northern Illinois

Kent State

Photo by: David Dermer

Kent State Earns Dominating 7-3 Victory over NIU

10/4/2015 4:10:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

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 18^th 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 22^nd 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 83^rd 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 9^th at 4 p.m. when it travels to play Ball State.