PICTURED ABOVE: Morgan Whitman scored two goals in Wheaton's 5-1 victory over Carthage on Wednesday night.

Wheaton, Ill. - The Thunder women's soccer team used an offensive onslaught in the second half on Wednesday night to post a 5-1 rout of Carthage College. The victory gives the Thunder a winning record again for the first time since winning their season opener over a month ago. Wheaton moves to 5-4-2 overall and joins Illinois Wesleyan atop the CCIW standings with a 2-0 record. Carthage falls to 7-5 overall and 0-2 in conference action.

Wheaton dominated the scoring chances, outshooting the Lady Reds 17-11 on the night. Kathryn McGregor and Madison Lee combined to post the victory for the Thunder. McGregor made three saves with Lee stopping six shots and allowing the one goal. Emily Furmanek stopped two shots and allowed five goals for the Lady Reds.

Action was lacking for much of the first half until the Thunder were able to break the scoreless tie and and turn the field in their favor. Isabelle Oliver set up the scoring chance with a run up the left side of the box, sending a swinging left foot on to the near post where Morgan Whitman sent a flick-on header just over the finger tips of Furmanek and into the net for a 1-0 28th-minute lead.

Wheaton took over the game from the start of the second half, doubling its lead in the opening minute of the half when Anna Saunders' sliding effort rolled the ball past the oncoming keeper, off the post and into the net off a beautiful long pass from Madison Peebles. Six minutes later, it was Whitman again, this time outrunning the Lady Reds defense to track down a long pass from Carney Blake, slotting the ball into the far corner of the net to push the Wheaton lead to 3-0.

Corner kicks would lead to the final two goals for the Thunder, with the first coming in the 63rd minute when Sammy Nishiyama tapped home a loose ball in the box off Saunders' corner kick and a touch by Oliver. Sarah Gencarella scored Wheaton's final goal three minutes later off Blake's corner kick to make it 5-0.

Carthage would pepper the Thunder with scoring chances late in the game, taking advantage of a foul in the box to score on a penalty kick by Darcy Stoecklin in the 91st minute. Madison Lee answered the bell on several prime Carthage shots with a diving save and an impressive point-blank parry to keep the final score at 5-1.

Wheaton will next be in action on Saturday, October 7, when the Thunder travel north to face Carroll University at 5 pm.