Fast start

Booters get early jump on BRC lead

By Bob Burrows

Wildcat senior Tiffany Joy (22) races an Eau Claire North defender to a loose ball in the first half of last Tuesday's Big Rivers Conference soccer opener at Wunrow Field. Five different Wildcats scored goals to lead the team to a 6-0 win. The Cats moved to 2-0 in BRC play with an 8-0 win over Rice Lake on Thursday. Bob Burrows photo.

After two wins by a combined score of 14-0, Wildcat girls soccer coach Hanz Lehrke doesn't want his team to get too excited.

"I think Eau Claire Memorial is the team to look at," Lehrke said about the Cats' next opponent following wins against Eau Claire North and Rice Lake last week. "We've beaten both those teams before. We have to take it one game at a time and try and keep up the momentum through the season."

The Cats got the momentum flowing in their favor in their Big Rivers Conference openers last week, posting a 6-0 win over Eau Claire North on Tuesday and an 8-0 win over Rice Lake Thursday. The Cats outshot their opponents 62-10 in the two wins.

Senior Molly Schock opened the scoring against the Huskies six minutes into the game before Molly Baumgartner tallied twice to give the Cats a 3-0 lead at intermission. Dana Hegre made it a 4-0 game eight minutes into the second half before Keely Anderson and Elisabeth Brady scored two minutes apart near the end to make the final 6-0. Goalkeeper Trisha Nelson stopped all 8 shots she faced to post the shutout.

Nelson needed just two saves to earn her second shutout of the year while seven different Wildcats scored goals in an 8-0 win over Rice Lake Thursday.

Schock scored two goals and added an assist while Hegre and Jackie Obermueller each added a goal and an assist. Baumgartner, Emily Watters, Liz Brady and Heidi Schultz accounted for the rest of the Wildcat goals while Anderson, Caroline Benson and Tiffany Joy picked up assists. The Cats led 5-0 at the half.

Lehrke said he is pleased with the Cats 2-0 conference start and feels River Falls could challenge defending BRC champion Hudson for the conference crown this season.

"We still have to beat Hudson and we've never done that," he noted. "I think we're the team to beat, but until we beat Hudson we can't get too excited."

The Cats faced Eau Claire Memorial in Eau Claire on Tuesday before hosting Chippewa Falls next Tuesday, April 27, at 5 p.m. The first of two games this season against Hudson is scheduled for Thursday, April 29, at 5 p.m. at Wunrow Field.