After opening the 2014 season with a canceled game, tie and tough loss, the St. Catherine University soccer team was hungry for its first win of the season. Thanks to sophomore Kelly Molitor (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville South) who had a hand in three goals Wednesday, the Wildcats picked up a much-needed 6-0 victory over Crown College. For her performance, Molitor has been named the Wildcat Athlete of the Week.Â
In the Wildcats' destruction of Crown College, Molitor came in off the bench to fuel the offense that had been lacking through the opening 30 minutes of the game. Finally, in the 33rd minute, Molitor fed teammate Taylor Greathouse (Blaine, Minn./Blaine) a solid corner kick for the game-winning goal and Molitor's first point of the game with an assist.Â
After going into the half just one goal up, the Wildcat offense needed more life to open up the scoring in the second half. Again, it was Molitor who got the Wildcats going when she took a pass from Hannah Brown (Burnsville, Minn./Lakeville South) to beat Crown goalkeeper Hillary Brondsema to the left side of the net for her first goal of the season. Molitor then added an assist on Ellen Kokes' (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) long-awaited first collegiate goal. She finished the game with a team-best four points on the day.
Molitor added one of the team's four shots in a 2-0 loss to regionally-ranked UW-Whitewater Saturday. Molitor's two assists rank in the top-10 in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) and her four points are in the top-20.Â
Molitor and the Wildcats return to action Tuesday as they open up MIAC competition against nationally-ranked No.17 Concordia College. Game time is slated for 4 p.m. in Moorhead, Minnesota.Â