DUBUQUE, Iowa – The Loras College women's soccer team continued its strong start to the season Saturday evening, using three first-half goals and a suffocating defensive effort to defeat Nebraska Wesleyan University, 3-0, at the Rock Bowl.
Loras wasted little time establishing control of the contest, finding the back of the net less than five minutes into the opening half. At the 4:42 mark, Gracie Gasmann scored her seventh goal of the season off an assist from Emerson Gasmann, giving the Purple and Gold an early 1-0 advantage.
The Duhawks doubled their lead in the 13th minute when Emerson Gasmann got in on the scoring herself. Bella Scesniak provided the assist on the play, setting up Emerson for her fourth goal of the season and extending the Loras lead to 2-0.
Loras continued to build momentum as the opening half progressed, adding its third goal in the 27th minute. Izzy Simonini recorded her first goal of the season at the 26:40 mark, finishing an opportunity created by Lauren Frost to give the Duhawks a commanding 3-0 advantage heading into the halftime break.
Despite holding a comfortable lead, the Purple and Gold continued to push offensively throughout the second half. Loras registered 13 shots over the final 45 minutes, forcing Nebraska Wesleyan goalkeeper Cassidy Hofstetter to make four saves to keep the Duhawks from extending their advantage.
The Duhawks finished the contest with a commanding 21-2 advantage in total shots, including a 9-1 edge in shots on goal. Gracie Gasmann led the offensive attack with five shots, placing three on target, while Emily Bowe added four attempts, including two on goal. Emerson Gasmann contributed three shots and finished with a team-high three points on one goal and one assist.
Defensively, Loras turned in another impressive performance, holding the Prairie Wolves to just one shot in each half. Goalkeeper Kelly Nelsen played all 90 minutes between the posts, recording one save to preserve the shutout.
