WSOC: MSU uses second half barrage to bury Storm, 5-0

WSOC: MSU uses second half barrage to bury Storm, 5-0

WICHITA FALLS, Texas - A pair of corner kick opportunities early in the second half ignited a four-goal rally to carry Midwestern State to a 5-0 exhibition win over Southern Nazarene University Friday night at the MSU Soccer Field.

Sophomore Katy Lukert knifed to the near post to convert Kari Bristow's serve from the corner, then Bristow proved she could be just as accurate to the far post as she found senior defender Cassidy Guice cutting in from the backside.

It took the Mustangs just 2:20 to turn a 1-0 intermission lead into a commanding three-goal advantage after sophomore Megan Hanlon put an arcing angle shot over the Crimson Storm goalkeeper in the game's 26th minute for MSU's lone tally of the first half.

"It's exciting to score goals no matter what time of year it is," MSU coach Jeff Trimble said. "We have a young set of forwards and midfielder and for them to adjust at half time and come out and score goals like that. That was exciting."

Bristow and Lukert each stayed busy over the next 10 minutes as Bristow dished out her third assist of the night finding freshman midfielder Jordan Smith for the Mustangs' third goal in five minutes in the 51st minute, while Lukert added a second goal on a beautiful header off of a Hanlon helper in the 63rd minute.

"We just had to get our feet going," Trimble said. "The second half was very indicative of what happens when we get warmed up."

While it took the offense a half to get primed, the Mustangs' pressure defense was in high gear from the opening kickoff as keepers Heather Primavera and Kaitlin McDaniel combined for the shutout. In all, Midwestern outshot the Crimson Storm 29-5 and earned 11 corners to one for Southern Nazarene.

The Mustangs won't have long to savor the victory as the preseason Nos. 1 and 2 from the Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletic Association come to Wichita Falls next weekend for the start of the regular season.

Midwestern plays host to Central Missouri Friday night at 7 p.m. before facing preseason No. 13-ranked Washburn Sunday at 3 p.m.

"Tonight was a good night, but it is what it is," Trimble said. "It was an exhibition and we have some good competition coming up, but it was a great start."