PRATT – Playing as the nation’s No. 1 team for the first time, thing were pretty much status quo for the Hutchinson Community College women’s soccer team on Wednesday at Pratt.
The Lady Dragons tied a team record with a sixth-straight shutout to start the season as Hutchinson earned a Jayhawk Conference victory with a 5-0 triumph over Pratt.
The 2012 Lady Dragons matched the start of last season with shutouts in the first six games, although two of those victories were wiped because HCC was forced to forfeit two games but the game statistics counted. HCC (6-0, 5-0 Jayhawk Conference) will put that shutout streak to the test on Saturday when No. 19 Johnson County comes to the USD 308 Athletic Complex for a 5:15 showdown.
Unlike the first five shutouts, Lady Dragons goalkeepers Eunice Figueroa and Emily Soza were tested by the Beavers (4-2, 0-2). Figueroa, who played the first half had a season-high two saves, including a tremendous save off a Beaver free kick. Soza also made two saves in the second half. Both keepers had season highs.
Figueroa (4-0) moved into third place on the career keeper wins list with her 18th victory.
Freshman Danielle Sheehy continued her incredible start with her fifth hat trick in her first six games, scoring three goals. The six points scored are a season-low for Sheehy.
Sophomore Melissa Hetherington set one more team record and tied another with her two assists against the Beavers. Her seventh game-winning assist is a school record and her 17th multi-point game tied a school career mark. Hetherington also moved into second place on the career assist list with 30 total assists.
Freshman midfielder Erinn Penny had her first multi-point game with a goal and an assist. Sophomore Andrea Thompson netted her second goal of the season and had an assist. Sophomore Jamie Smith tallied her third assist of the season.
Sheehy posted the first two Hutchinson goals, her 17th of the season from a Hetherington assist in the 14th minute and her 18th of the year was from a Penny assist in the 38th minute.
Penny gave HCC a 3-0 lead with her second goal of the season from a Thompson assist. That was the halftime score.
The Lady Dragons didn’t score until the 83rd minute, finally scoring when Sheehy got her hat trick from a Smith assist for a 4-0 lead. Thompson scored 5 1/2 minutes later from Hetherington’s second assist for a 5-0 lead.
Hutchinson out-shot Pratt 21-7.
GAME NOTES – HCC is now 3-0 vs. Pratt. … HCC had 8 corner kicks to Pratt’s 1. … Pratt had 10 fouls to HCC’s 8. … Danielle Sheehy is now tied for sixth in single-season points (51) and is already seventh in single-season goals (19). … Melissa Hetherington upped her career points record to 130. … Hetherington has 14 assists for the season, which is now tied for sixth.
(HCC Sports Information)
