Box Score             The Wildcats scored early and often in the dismantling of Minnesota Crookston in Wayne on Sunday afternoon, recording a 6-0 win in their highest goal scoring game since 2010. The Wildcats moved to 4-10-1 on the season with a 4-8-1 conference mark, while Minnesota Crookston drops to 1-13-2 with a 1-10-2 mark in the NSIC.
            Wayne State came out firing on all cylinders to start the game, earning two early corners. The Wildcats forced a save out of the Crookston keeper as well as a looping header from Megan Phillips that just traveled over the bar.
            The Cats' kept looking dangerous from set pieces, including an Alexis Strothers' header at the far post off a corner kick that fell right to the keeper's hands. Wayne State held a 9-0 shot advantage in the first 30 minutes of the contest.
            It was the 10^th shot in the 31^st minute that finally broke the deadlock for the Wildcats. Sophie Ketchmark did well to win possession in the attacking third before sending in a left-footed cross that found the head of Christina Stasi who looped it over the goalkeeper. Stasi's third goal of the year gave the Wildcats a 1-0 lead.
            The Wildcat doubled their lead just before halftime after a Rylie Wehner shot saw the keeper parry it to the foot of Brooke Buzzell, making no mistake to get on the scoresheet for the first time this season.
            Wayne State outshot the Golden Eagles 14-0 in the first half, tallying eight shots on goal. The last time Wayne State held an opponent without a shot was a 2015 contest against Northwestern Oklahoma State in a 0-0 double overtime draw. The Wildcats held a 4-0 advantage in corners, and Wildcat goalkeeper Alyssa Bagley spent the majority of the half as a spectator.
            Stasi almost added to her first half mark after being played through on goal. The Golden Eagles defense did well to recover on a last ditch tackle to force a corner.
            The Wildcats found the back of the net again in the 51^st minute through the foot of Megan Phillips. A Golden Eagles foul 25 yards out put Phillips over the ball, leaving the goalkeeper helpless as she found the top left corner.
            Not finished yet, Buzzell made it 4-0 after scoring her second of the game. Her initial shot cannoned off the crossbar but she was the first to get to the rebound, heading over a defender to ripple the back of the net.
            A moment of bad luck from the Golden Eagles captured the theme of the day, as a Samantha Phillips cross found a Crookston defender, who sliced it into the net for an own goal to make it 5-0 for the Wildcats.
            Amanda Clements wrapped up the game with a goal of her own, after a through ball from Megan Phillips found its way to Clements' foot as she slotted it home. A Minnesota Crookston red card dampened the mood of the afternoon, but Wayne State finished 6-0 victors in their highest scoring game since an 8-0 win against Iowa Wesleyan in 2010.
            "Proud of the girls for playing a complete game," said head coach Joe Cleary. "It's been a tough couple of weeks for us individually and collectively, on and off the field. Scoring some goals and keeping a clean sheet was a nice way to end the weekend."
            The Wildcats ended with 26 shots and 14 on goal. Stasi led the way with four shots on goal, while Phillips, Buzzell and Wehner all added two shots on target. Bagley gets her fifth shutout on the season.
            The Wildcats host Concordia-St. Paul in their last home game of the season on Friday, October 26 at the WSC Soccer Pitch at 3 p.m.