ARLINGTON HEIGHTS – Roosevelt earned its first victory of the season Friday with a 2-1 win over Northern Michigan in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action at Morris Field.
The match was slanted in the Wildcats' favor statistically as Northern Michigan held a 20-9 edge in shot attempts and 7-1 advantage in corners. However, they could not find a way past Kaylee Sarnicola, who made five saves in the first half to keep the game scoreless.
The Lakers (1-4-2, 1-2-0 GLIAC) finally broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute when Celine Blömer was chasing after a through pass and was tripped up in the box. Bella Perry sent the ensuing penalty kick perfectly into the bottom left corner for her second goal of the season and a 1-0 Roosevelt lead.
Aaliyah Xiomara Leanos doubled the Lakers' advantage from 25 yards out with a perfectly-arced shot that flew over the Northern Michigan goalkeeper's head. It is the second time this season Leanos has scored in that fashion, mirroring her goal earlier this month at Lewis. Lamiya House picked up her first career point with an assist on Leanos' goal.
Sarnicola nearly kept her first shutout of the season, but an unfortunate deflection off a blocked cross gave the Wildcats a clean break in the 89th minute. The freshman still finished with six saves to backstop the Lakers.
Friday's win was head coach Tom Czop's 31st win in charge of the Lakers, tying the seventh-year coach for the career program record.
UP NEXT: Roosevelt will try to make it two wins in a row Sunday at noon when it hosts Michigan Tech as the first half of a men's and women's soccer doubleheader at Morris Field.
