PORTSMOUTH – Playing the second to last home game of 2012, women's soccer delivered a 4-1 win on Senior Day for the trio of Brittney Brooks, Alisha Fournier and Staci Johnson. Purdue-Calumet (5-8) scored the first goal of the game just over six minutes in, but the Bears (6-8) came back with four unanswered goals to seal the victory. Schuyler Jones scored twice to lead the offense, while Mollie King and Jessica Fair each added a goal. Fair also recorded an assist along with Teresa Welch and Tasha Wilson.
The Peregrines went on the attack early as Emily Kuehn was called on to make a save just four minutes in. The visitors also earned a corner kick before finally putting away an unassisted goal from just outside the 18 on their second shot of the game. Kuehn would be called upon to make two more stops before the Bears would get the momentum swinging in their direction.
Shawnee State turned up the intensity right around the 14 minute mark. The Bears would take a total of 11 shots in the opening half, but could not find the equalizer until Jones made the final shot of the half count in the 39th minute. She took a feed from Fair to send the game into the break knotted at one-all. Jones had just come onto the field in 32nd minute as a substitute.
After waiting nearly 39 minutes for the first goal, the Bears need just 2:46 into the second half to take the lead. Brooks' initial shot was saved, but the rebound worked its way around to King and she would knock home the go-ahead goal for her second goal the year. Both of those goals have come in the past four games.
An insurance goal would come just about 22 minutes later when Fair, who totaled six shots on goal, finally broke through with the third Bears' goal of the contest. Her goal came from right around the six-yard mark off Welch's second assist of the season. On Senior Day, Fournier nearly added the fourth goal of the game in the 84th minute, but had her attempt deflected just over the crossbar.
However, Jones would add her second goal of the day just forty seconds later on the resulting corner kick. It was her second two-goal performance of the year. She and Fair each have five goals on the season. Her goal came off Wilson's second assist in the last four games.
In net, Kuehn played the full ninety minutes and stopped 10 shots to pick up the victory. Ten different Bears recorded shots on the afternoon. Fair finished with a team-high six, including four on goal. Jones added three more, while Brooks finished with two on her Senior Day. Fournier was one of seven other players to take a single shot, putting her attempt on goal.
The Bears' final home game of 2012 will be next Wednesday, October 17 against the University of the Cumberlands. That game will start at 2 p.m. and played as a doubleheader with the men's team playing after. Three straight road games will close the regular season as the Bears have three more MSC games in their final four as they look to continue their ascent in the conference standings.
