No. 18 women’s soccer wins fifth straight

Story by Jim Joyner, Sports Editor

The No. 18 women’s soccer team won its fifth consecutive game Wednesday at Liston Stadium, beating the Evangel Crusaders 5-0. The Wildcats improved to 8-1-0 on the season and 2-0-0 in conference play.

Baker’s five-game winning streak is its longest since 2011, when the Wildcats had two different streaks of six or more wins in a row. Throughout the course of this winning streak, Baker has outscored its opponents 20-5, including three shutouts. The five wins came against conference foe Central Methodist 2-0, at No. 13 Hastings 3-2, at home over Doane 4-0, and at Park 6-3.

The Evangel women came into the game 0-6-0 after a 7-1 loss at Heart newcomer William Penn on Saturday. Evangel had only scored eight goals in those first six games.

BU junior Keeley Atkin scored two goals in the fourth minute and the 52nd minute for Baker to put her season total to eight. In addition to leading the team in goals, Atkin also leads Baker in shots and shots on goal with 37 and 16. Atkin entered 2015 with eight goals in her career and through the team’s nine games already has tied that number. As of Sept. 23, Atkin is tied for the lead in goals in the Heart of America Athletic Conference.

Junior Krista Hooper scored Baker’s second goal in the 10th minute to put Baker up 2-0. Hooper was second behind Atkin and senior Jenna Carducci with four goals in 2014 and already has reached that number in 2015. Hooper assisted on sophomore Megan Johnson’s goal in the 60th minute.

Carducci also scored in the 68th minute, her third goal of 2015. Carducci, along with junior Katie Hibbeler, has led the Wildcats in assists. The two are No. 1 and No. 2 in the conference in assists in 2015 — Hibbeler with seven, and Carducci with five.

Baker outshot Evangel, which is in its first season of soccer, 30-1. Baker put 15 shots on the Evangel frame and Evangel never once tested sophomore goalkeeper Rachel Hunt, who recorded her fourth clean sheet of 2015.

Baker tries to make it six straight at 1 p.m. this Saturday at Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Missouri. This is a revenge game for Baker because Culver-Stockton eliminated Baker last season in the Heart tournament at Liston Stadium. That game ended in a 0-0 draw, but the Wildcats lost in penalties to end the season.