Romanowski’s hat trick sparks women’s soccer team to season-opening win

OLIVET, Mich. – Freshman Ashley Romanowski netted a hat trick to lead the Olivet College women's soccer team to a 6-0 season-opening win over Bluffton (Ohio) University this afternoon at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet.

THE BASICS
Final Score: Olivet 6, Bluffton 0
Location: Cutler Athletic Complex; Olivet, Mich.
Records: Bluffton 0-1 overall, Olivet 1-0 overall

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Comets scored four goals in the final 17 minutes and 27 seconds of the first half to take a 4-0 lead at halftime. The Beavers did not record a shot in the first half.
• Romanowski put two shots in the back of the net in a span of exactly 11 minutes in the second half for the final two goals. 

FOR THE COMETS

• Junior Isabelle Leon sent a chip shot over the goalkeeper's head in the 28th minute to put Olivet ahead 1-0. Junior Dominique Giroux assisted on the goal.
• Romanowski sent her shot into the goal from 10 yards out in the 33rd minute.
• Leon dribbled the ball up the field, and sent a low crossing pass to the feet of sophomore Emma Essen tapped the ball into the net in the 43rd minute.
• Leon then scored her second goal of the game with only 30 seconds left before halftime.
• Romanowski's first goal in the second half came in the 69th minute and the second was in the 79th minute. Freshman Abby Radcliffe earned the assist on the first goal.
• Olivet finished the game with a 38-5 advantage in total shots. Leon and Romanowski led the way with eight shots apiece.
• Freshman Brooklyn Burel provided the clean sheet in goal. She made one save.

FOR THE BEAVERS

• Brittany Huff had two of the five Beaver shots.
• Kayla Penrod and Courtney Davis split the time in goal. Penrod collected 10 saves, while playing the first half. Davis had seven saves.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Romanowski recorded the seventh hat trick in school history.
• Leon has scored eight career game-winning goals.
• Head Coach Kim McGowan is a perfect 2-0 in season-opening games. A year ago, in her coaching debut at Olivet, the Comets beat Capital (Ohio) University.
• Overall, Olivet has won four straight, and eight of its last 10 season-openers.
• The Comets improved to 4-1 all-time against Bluffton. After losing the first-ever game during the 1992 season, Olivet has won four consecutive games against the Beavers. In the five games, the Comets have outscored them, 18-8.

UP NEXT

• Olivet will travel to Chicago this weekend for its final two non-league games. The Comets face Elmhurst (Ill.) College Saturday afternoon before making a 20-mile trip across town to play North Park (Ill.) University. Both games will start at 3 p.m. EST.