Sept. 21, 2003

Box Score

OXFORD, Ohio - Junior Ashley Swinehart (Worthington, Ohio/Worthington) scored her second straight hat trick in leading Miami University's women's soccer team to a 5-1 win over Northern Illinois Sunday afternoon at Miami Soccer Field.

The RedHawks (3-3-1, 2-1 MAC) were too much for the Huskies (1-6, 0-2 MAC) as NIU was never able to gain control in the match with the exception of a pair of corner kicks in the first half that resulted in one goal. The Red and White outshot their visitors, 25-4, for the match and had the ball in their attacking third the majority of the day.

"We wanted to get out there and send a message early on," said head coach Bobby Kramig. "It was good to not be playing from behind."

Freshman Kathleen Vistica (Monrovia, Md./Urbana) led off the scoring with her first collegiate goal in the 13th minute. Vistica drew a foul, and on the subsequent free kick, senior Tricia Gill (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) put the ball into the box from 35 yards out. The freshman was able to head in Gill's kick to stake Miami to a 1-0 lead.

Eighty seconds later, Northern Illinois knotted the score at 1-1, on a Denise Papke corner kick. As her ball crossed the crowded box, defender Maggie Nowicki was able to rise above the crowd to head the ball past freshman keeper Megan Ortner (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Ursula).

With the game tied, Swinehart took matters into her own hands scoring the game-winner in the 16th minute. Vistica sent a ball across the box in front of Huskie keeper Leigh Steigerwald, and junior Megan Shaprio (Grosse Point, Mich./South) collected the ball far post. Shaprio sent the ball back out front where Swinehart was able to finish.

Shapiro set up another Swinehart score in the 29th minute. Junior Laura Freel (Atlanta, Ga./Westminster) sent a Shapiro pass into the box where Swinehart was able to head the ball past Steigerwald. Swinehart then put the game out of reach nine minutes later when Gill sent another free kick into the box, this time from 40 yards, and the high-flying junior headed in her third goal of the game.

"Ashley is a great player," added Kramig. "She can do anything she puts her mind to out on the soccer field."

Freshmen Katie Gray (Lexington, Ky./Lexington Catholic) and Jessica Schmidt (Xenia, Ohio/Xenia) connected on the fifth, and final goal, of the match in the 89th minute. Gray accepted a through ball from Schmidt and sent her shot upper far post for her first collegiate goal.

Ortner made three saves in the win in her second collegiate start. After playing three matches in the midfield, Ortner is now 2-0 as a goalkeeper. Steigerwald had to make eight saves for the Huskies as Miami maintained its second-half dominance, outshooting NIU in the frame, 12-2.

"(Ortner) is an incredible athlete on the field," said Kramig. "She has done a great job (in goal) and has really risen to the occasion."

Swinehart became the first women to notch hat tricks in back-to-back games in Miami soccer history after tallying her first career three-goal game on Friday against Western Michigan. Today's match also marked the first time Miami has seen a player tally hot tricks in two straight games since last year's MAC Tournament, when Miami had a hat trick in both the quarter- and semifinals.

The RedHawks will hit the road for just the second time this season when they head to Michigan next weekend. Miami will play at Eastern Michigan on Friday, Sept. 26 at 4 p.m, before heading to Central Michigan for a Sunday afternoon match. The RedHawks and Chippewas will kick off at 1 p.m.