MOUNT PLEASANT – A number of Iowa Wesleyan College seniors played their final home match of their careers, but Bellevue University got the final word, defeating the Tigers 3-0 on a brisk day at East Lake Park.
The Bruins, NAIA members from Omaha, Neb., based in the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference and a team receiving votes in the national polls, controlled play throughout the match to improve to 10-3 on the season. The Tigers dropped their sixth straight match and are now 3-12-1 overall.
Bellevue got goals from Meredith Shuman and Jenna Pendley in the first half on the way to a 2-0 lead at the half. Shuman scored 10 minutes into the match with an assist from Pendley, while the Bruins second goal came in the 28th minute with Pendley scoring off an assist from Anne Marie Lind.
The Tigers stayed in the match with Cara Arnold (Fr.-Stillman Valley, Ill.) making six saves in the first half on her way to eight saves in the match. IWC mustered just two shots on goal in the match, both in the first half. Jillian Sulcer (Fr.-Mechanicsburg, Ill.) came the closest to scoring, drilling a shot from close range that Bruins’ goalkeeper Rachel Sternberger blocked away.
Bellevue padded its lead midway through the second half when Amy Stigge headed in a cross from Lind to make it 3-0 in the 65th minute. The Tigers would threaten one more time, as Deandra Franzisi (Jr.-Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario) had a chance to get to a free ball with the goalkeeper tied up, but a Bruin defender swept the ball away just as the Tiger player tried to shoot.
Sulcer and Taylor Scott (Fr.-Rockton, Ill.) both had two shots to lead IWC. Pendley led the Bruins with six shots, four on goal and all in the first half.
The match was the final at home for seniors Crystal Eisler (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario), Kelli Garrison (Johnson, Kan.), Camille Iserman (Mount Pleasant, Iowa), Aimee Kowalski (Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan) and Jenna Lammers (Grimes, Iowa). Shannon Lee (Jr.-Bloomington, Ill.) also played in her final home match, as she is a senior academically and will graduate in the spring.
The Tigers now focus on their final Midwest Collegiate Conference match of the season Saturday against St. Ambrose University at 1 p.m. in Muscatine. IWC will begin MCC Tournament play Oct. 29 at a site to be determined.
For more information regarding the IWC soccer programs or any of the Tiger athletic teams, contact sports information director Adam Glatczak (319-385-6306 phone; 319-385-6384 FAX; aglatczak@iwc.edu e-mail) or log on to IWC's athletics web site at www.iwc.edu/athletics.
