YORK, Neb. - Junior Betsy Fischenich's (Omaha, Neb.) hat trick set the tone as the Bellevue University women's soccer team dispatched York College, 10-1, on Wednesday afternoon in a Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference match-up.
The Bruins (12-1-0, 4-0-0 MCAC), ranked No. 23 in this week's Coaches' Poll, have now won seven straight which is their longest such streak since stringing together seven straight wins from Sept. 23 through Oct. 20 of the 2012 season. York drops to 2-13-1 (0-4-0 MCAC) after losing for the fifth time in six matches this month.
The Bruins struck first in the 10th minute when senior Mercy Darkoah (Sheffield, England) tallied her team- and conference-leading 15th goal of the campaign. Sophomore Michelle Dolder (Cali, Colombia) was credited with the assist, her fifth of the year.
In the 19th minute the Bruins doubled their advantage with senior Yaritza Estrada (Omaha, Neb.) netting her sixth goal of the season. Exactly 60 seconds later sophomore Lauren Clark (Portsmouth, England) made it 3-0 in favor of the visitors with her fifth tally of the year.
Bellevue recorded each of the first five shots in the match and had a commanding 19-1 edge in that category as the teams went into the halftime break.
The second half started in fine fashion for the Bruins with Fischenich scoring her 13th goal of the year in the 46th minute off of a pass from Clark. This was followed up shortly after with Estrada notching her second goal of the game in the 48th minute to make the score 5-0 in favor of Bellevue.
Fischenich would add her second goal of the game in the 51st minute off of a pass from freshman Madison Stumpf (Cheyenne, Wyo.). She would complete the hat trick in the 53rd minute with an unassisted tally. It was Fischenich's second hat trick of the year with the other coming in an 11-0 drubbing of Central Christian College on Oct. 1.
Senior Stacey Hanson (Lawton, Okla.) added insurance goals in the 58th and 71st minutes with the assist on the second going to Darkoah. The goals were the first and second of the year for Hanson. Freshman Madison Lambert (Bellevue, Neb.) was on the receiving end of Darkoah's third assist in the 87th minute as she notched her fourth goal to close out the scoring and provide the final margin.
Freshman keeper Laurence Rodier (Quebec, Canada) only needed to make one save for Bellevue who defeated York for the 15th straight time, dating back to 2001.
Adiana Loya scored in the 90th minute for York to avoid the shutout.
BU out-shot the home-standing Panthers by a final count of 37-3, including holding a 20-2 edge in shots on goal.
Bellevue will return to the pitch on Saturday, Oct. 25 with a 1:00 p.m. MCAC match at Central Baptist College in Conway, Ark.
