By: Joey Daniels (@GBJoeyD)
GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – Thanks to three goals in the first half, the Green Bay women's soccer team is off to its best start since 1996 following a 3-0 victory on Friday night at Chicago State. The game was called in the 71st minute due to inclement weather in the area.
The Phoenix, now 4-1-0, is off to its best start in 19 years when the team began 4-1-0 in 1996 as well. Should the team earn a win or tie at Loyola on Sunday, it will give the program its best start to a season in the Division I era which began in 1989 (the team began the season 5-0-0 in 1988 as the best start all-time).
Already a familiar sight this season, Heidi Hartmann (Plymouth, Minn.) scored her team and league-leading fifth and sixth goals of the season. Hartmann scored right away in the 5th minute, when she banged one in from the top of the 18-yard box to give the Phoenix the only goal it would need on the day.
Hartmann struck again in the 35th minute, when freshman Alex Zeller (Dundee, Ill.) gave a beautiful set up pass to Hartmann to give Green Bay a 2-0 lead. Elise Olson (Madison, Wis) sparked the goal with the pass to Zeller, giving the defense yet another assist on the year.
The six goals scored by Hartmann are the most in a season since 2006, when Stephanie Gross scored 13, as this year's team continues to rewrite history.
Zeller would give the Phoenix its third goal of the game, the fourth time this year the team has scored three goals or more, when a free kick pass from Sydney Born (Edina, Minn.) found the freshman's head and into the back of the net.
The defense gave goalkeeper Nastacia Behle (St. Paul, Mo.) her second-consecutive clean sheet of the year, as the backline of Olson, Born, Justy Linton (Winnipeg, Manitoba), Katie Schulz (Plymouth, Minn.) and the midfield help from Abby Juzwik (Madison, Wis.) kept the Lady Cougars off the board.
The game was originally delayed in the 57th minute, then later called in the 71st. After 70 minutes of action, the game becomes an official contest.
Looking for its fourth win in a row, Green Bay will play Loyola Chicago on Sunday (Sept. 7) at 5 p.m. in Evanston, Ill.
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