ELSAH, IL – The Principia Women's Soccer team scored a season-high six goals at home on Tuesday against visiting Eureka College en route to their first conference victory of the season. Propelled by a 19-minute Viviane de Castro hat trick, the Panthers jumped out to an early 5-0 lead and never looked back.
Principia applied pressure right from the start, pinning the visitors in their own half and dominating possession. The pressure paid off and the Panthers earned a corner kick in the 8th minute, which Kannon Gill proceeded to curl directly into the goal, kicking off what would prove to be a high-scoring contest. Gill's goal was followed by three finishes from de Castro in the 10th, 24th, and 29th minutes. Four minutes later, Kaija Ufert got in on the action with a goal of her own, her first of the season.
Coach Thomas says he was proud of how his team started the game. "We really executed the principles we had discussed in preparation and played more freely than they have all season. The goals felt like a reward for all of the hard work the team has been putting in week after week. Kannon's 'Olimpico' was outstanding, and Viviane might have had the fastest hat trick I've ever seen in college soccer. I was also proud of Kaija for her composure to add to the first half tally."
Heading into the half, the Red Devils would score with 9 seconds left on the clock, and then again 15 seconds into the second half.
"It was a frustrating way to end a really good half and even more disappointing way to start the second half. It just goes to show that we are still very much a work in progress, and Eureka has quality finishers who can take advantage of chances."
Principia continued to dominate the majority of the possession, tallying over 70% of the possession for the game and earning a season-high 24 shots. The next goal wouldn't come until the 60th minute when a pass by de Castro found senior Dafne Muniz who laced a drive into the bottom corner, scoring her first collegiate goal and the sixth Panther goal of the contest.
"I'm so proud of Dafne," said Thomas, "You could see how much her goal meant to the whole team. Dafne works so hard in practice and has been growing into games this season. She absolutely earned that goal through her preparation and work ethic."
Eureka would get one more goal on a kick from the spot in the 83rd minute after a Principia defender was thought to have brought down a Red Devil attacker in the box. The game finished 6-3 for Panthers as they improved to 1-2 in SLIAC play.
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Up Next: Principia hits the road on Saturday to play at Blackburn College at 1:00 pm.
