Defiance Puts The Sting on Bluffton For First Win

DEFIANCE, OHIO- The Defiance College women's soccer team netted an 8-1 victory against Bluffton University for its first win of the season in a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference game at Winsper-Knobel Memorial Field.

Defiance (1-7, 1-1 HCAC) started out strong in the first half when senior Katie Tilman (Miami, Fla./La Salle) scored her first goal of the season just 1:42 minutes into play.

The Yellow Jackets kept up the offensive pressure against Bluffton (0-7, 0-2 HCAC) and found the back of the net again at the 12:11 mark when junior Kassie Memmer (Bowling Green) recorded her first goal of the season with an assist from freshman Miranda Herevia (Port Clinton), making the score 2-0.

Just over seven minutes later, freshman Kat Wicher (Toledo/Whitmer) left her mark offensively with an unassisted goal extending the margin to 3-0.  

Bluffton got on the scoreboard with what turned out to be its only goal of the game during the 23rd minute on a free kick, ending the possible shutout and cutting the deficit to 3-1.  

DC continued to pile on the scoring chances in the remaining minutes of the period as the Jackets outshot the Beavers, 10-7, in the half.  The goal by the Beavers turned out to be the final point of the half as the Yellow Jackets took their two-goal advantage into the intermission.

The Defiance defense held Bluffton scoreless in the second half and also held the Beavers to just four shots. The DC offense continued its strong play from the first half with 19 shots and scored its fourth goal of the game just over a minute into play.  This time, freshman Sarah Madaras (Kalamazoo, Mich./Parchment) put a shot past the Bluffton goalkeeper to record her first goal of the season at the 46:21 mark. Madaras' goal was set up by a pass from Memmer to add to her point total on the day. 

After assisting on the previous goal, Memmer tallied her second goal of the game during the 54th minute with a helper from Wicher on a corner kick to put the Jackets up, 5-1. 

At the 73:50 mark, DC contintued to capitalize offensively when Tilman struck for her second goal of the contest to give the Jackets a commanding 6-1 advantage. 

About 10 minutes later, Memmer earned the hat trick with her third goal of the game padding the lead to 7-1. Less than a minute later, freshman Laural Mann (Roachdale, Ind./North Putnam) tallied the final goal of the game for DC that included an assist from fellow freshman Whitney Webb (Troy) as the Yellow Jackets cruised to the 8-1 final. 

In net for the Yellow Jackets was freshman Madi Bowman (Eaton) who played the entire game to pick up her first collegiate victory. She allowed just the lone goal and made three saves. 

Defiance will travel to Lexington, Ky. for a HCAC game against Transylvania (Ky.) University on Saturday, Oct. 8. The game will be part of a soccer doubleheader with the Yellow Jacket men's team.  The women will take on the Pioneers at 1 p.m., followed by the men at 3:30 p.m.