Women’s Soccer

HANCOCK, Mich. — Casey Merkle scored and had an assist as the Lawrence University women’s soccer team defeated Finlandia University 2-0 on Saturday in a nonconference match at McAfee Field.

Merkle gave Lawrence a 1-0 lead just 15 minutes into the match. Merkle took a pass from Melissa Rooney, dribbled past the goalkeeper and deposited the ball in the back of the net.

The score stayed that way until 10 minutes into the second half. Merkle took a corner kick and defender Genna Matt beat the goalkeeper to give Lawrence a 2-0 advantage.

That was more than enough offense as the Vikings controlled play throughout the match. Lawrence goalkeeper Carolyn Ford was forced to make just one save in recording the shutout.

Lawrence improved to 5-3-0 on the season, and Finlandia falls to 1-5-0.

MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Ryan Berkley scored a pair of goals and Casey Merkle picked up two assists to lead the Lawrence University women’s soccer team to a 3-1 nonconference victory over Wisconsin Lutheran College on Tuesday.

Berkley scored off a pass from Merkle just 4:08 into the match to give the Vikings (4-3-0) a 1-0 lead. It looked like it would stay that way going into the second half, but the Warriors scored with just three seconds left in the first half to tie it.

Lawrence didn’t waste a lot of time getting the lead back. Anne Leung scored off Berkley’s free kick just 3:08 into the second half to give Lawrence a 2-1 edge.

Berkley then gave the Vikings some insurance when she scored off a pass from Merkle at the 72:07 mark.

Patsy Kealey made seven saves to pick up the win for Lawrence.

Box score

APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University women’s soccer standout Patsy Kealey was named the Midwest Conference Defensive Player of the Week following a pair of stellar performances.

A senior goalkeeper, Kealey (New Rochelle, N.Y./Ursuline) earned her second shutout of the season and turned in another standout performance during the week. For the two matches last week, Kealey made 22 saves, posted a 0.50 goals against average and a .957 save percentage.

Kealey made 11 saves in Lawrence’s 2-0 victory over UW-Stevens Point on Sept. 16. Kealey made several outstanding saves and helped Lawrence to its first victory over the Pointers since 1989.

In a 1-0 loss to Carroll University on Sept. 19, Kealey stopped 11 shots and made several spectacular saves. She stopped two shots at point-blank range and made a pair of leaping saves where she deflected the ball over the crossbar.

On the season, Kealey has a 1.09 GAA and .906 save percentage.

Lawrence returns to action on Tuesday when it travels to Wisconsin Lutheran College for a nonconference match.

APPLETON, Wis. — Delaney Pruitt’s goal in the 76th minute Saturday night proved to be the difference as the Carroll University women’s soccer team downed Lawrence University 1-0 in a Midwest Conference match on Ron Roberts Field at the Banta Bowl.

Pruitt scored off a pass from Tia Irish and scored at 75:04 to give the Pioneers (2-2-0, 1-0-0 MWC) the win.

The loss overshadowed a great effort by Lawrence goalkeeper Patsy Kealey, who finished with 11 saves, including stopping two point-blank shots and flicking two more over the crossbar.

Carroll had a 23-8 edge in shots over the Vikings (3-3-0, 0-1-0). Sabrina Sieger made three saves for the Pioneers.

Box score

APPLETON, Wis. — Ryan Berkley scored twice in a span of less than six minutes, and Patsy Kealey was superb in net to lead the Lawrence University women’s soccer team to a 2-0 nonconference win over UW-Stevens Point on Wednesday.

Berkley gave the Vikings the lead midway through the second half and then added an insurance goal on Ron Roberts Field at the Banta Bowl. Kealey made 11 saves to earn her second shutout of the season.

Lawrence (3-2-0) held off a strong attack by the Pointers in the first half, and the Vikings then struck in the 67th minute. Passes from Lucy Brown and Liza Girsova got the ball to Berkley, whose bending, dipping shot got over the head of Pointers goalkeeper Kristen Churkey and found the back of the net at 66:17.

Just a few minutes later, a ball was misplayed by a Stevens Point defender and ended up on the foot of Berkley. She hit a similar shot from about 25 yards out and beat Churkey again for a 2-0 lead at 71:52.

Churkey finished with three saves for the Pointers (2-4-0).

It was Lawrence’s first win over UW-Stevens Point since 1989 and snapped the Pointers’ six-game win streak in the rivalry. It was also Lawrence’s first win over a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference team since a 3-1 victory over UW-Whitewater in 2001.

Box score

DUBUQUE, Iowa — The University of Dubuque women’s soccer team scored 10 minutes into the second half and held on for a 1-0 nonconference win over Lawrence University on Saturday.

Katie Lynn scored from about 10 yards out at the 55:14 mark for the game’s lone goal.

Megan Moll picked up the shutout and was forced to make only two saves for Dubuque (3-1-1). Patsy Kealey made 11 saves for the Vikings (2-2-0).

Box score

APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University women’s soccer team scored four goals in the final 35 minutes to rally for a 4-2 nonconference victory over Lakeland College on Tuesday on Ron Roberts Field at the Banta Bowl.

Casey Merkle scored twice and Ryan Berkley and Melissa Rooney both added a goal and an assist to lead Lawrence (2-1-0).

The Vikings dominated the Muskies for long stretches and posted a 26-5 edge in shots for the match.

Lakeland (1-3-0) got on the board first when Mimi Pulido scored off a penalty kick after a handball in the box. Her goal just 12:59 into the match gave the Muskies a 1-0 lead. Pulido made it 2-0 when her shot in the 53rd minute got past goalkeeper Carolyn Ford.

Lawrence cut the margin in half less than three minutes later when Berkley took a free kick from just outside the left side of the penalty box. Her bending shot beat goalkeeper Melissa Noll at the 55:24 mark.

The Vikings then tied it at 2-2 on a creative shot by Rooney. She took a throw-in from Berkley and chipped the ball over Noll’s head and into the net at the 72:32 mark.

Lawrence took the lead six minutes later on Merkle’s first goal of the afternoon. Merkle took a pass from Lucy Brown and fired it past Noll for a 3-2 lead at 78:57.

Merkle then sealed the victory with just over two minutes left. Genna Matt played the ball to Rooney in the middle of the field, and she found Merkle running through the Lakeland defense. Merkle took the open space and went to the goal, beating Noll to her left to give Lawrence a 4-2 lead at 87:47.

Patsy Kealey played the first half in goal and made one save, and Ford played the second half and also made one save. Ford picked up her first collegiate win in goal. Noll made 12 saves for Lakeland.

Box score

APPLETON, Wis. — Melissa Rooney’s first-half goal proved to be enough as the Lawrence University women’s soccer team stopped Benedictine (Ill.) University 1-0 in a nonconference game on Friday.

It was the first Lawrence (1-1-0) victory in the renovated Ron Roberts Field at the Banta Bowl.

Ryan Berkley took a free kick from the far sideline and fired it through the penalty box. Rooney was there on the far side and her shot got between Benedictine goalkeeper Maddie Frye and the near post at the 22:36 mark. It was the first career goal for Rooney, a sophomore.

Benedictine (1-1-0) had several good scoring chances but hit the crossbar three times, and Lawrence goalkeeper Patsy Kealey made 14 saves. Kealey, making just her second start in goal, recorded her first career shutout.

Frye stopped six shots for the Eagles.

Box score

APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University women’s soccer team dropped a 3-1 nonconference decision to Marian University in the season opener on Tuesday.

It was the first game for the Vikings in the renovated Ron Roberts Field at the Banta Bowl.

Marian (1-0-0) scored just 13 minutes into the match on a penalty kick after Lawrence goalkeeper Patsy Kealey collided with a Marian attacker. Kayla Bernardi converted the penalty kick to put Marian up 1-0.

The Vikings had the better of the play in the first half, but Marian goalkeeper Alysha Kallas made several nice saves in the opening 45 minutes to keep the Sabres on top.

Marian made it 2-0 just four minutes into the second half when Reina Dionisio scored off an assist from Karissa Preston. Bernardi scored on a free kick in the 73rd minute when her shot from just outside the penalty box deflected off a Lawrence defender into the net.

Ryan Berkley scored with 59 seconds left on a 34-yard blast on a free kick to get the Vikings on the board.

Kallas finished with eight saves for Marian, and Kealey stopped 10 shots for Lawrence (0-1-0).

Box score