Wheaton, Ill. -- The Wheaton women's soccer team conceded two goals for the first time in a conference match this season on Saturday night, but there will not be too much griping in the locker room after a high-powered attack saw the Thunder dismantle Carthage by a 5-2 scoreline. The win sees Wheaton improve to 5-0-0 in CCIW play and inch closer to another regular season conference title. 

Apart from a 15 minute period either side of halftime in which the home team lost concentration and allowed their guests back into the match, Wheaton were far superior on the day. The team registered an impressive 38 shots across 90 minutes, 18 of which were on target. The Firebirds only managed four shots on frame, although two of these were excellent strikes that ended up in the Wheaton net. The Thunder forced the Carthage goalkeeper into 13 saves on the night, while Wheaton's Lauren Ketchum only had to make a pair. The hosts also finished the match with a 13 to 2 advantage in corner kicks, and bossed possession at a 65-35% mark.

Sara Bakke claimed the first shot on target of the game for the Thunder, drawing a save from Carthage's Sara Leiffrig six minutes in. Audrey Sexson pulled a shot wide before that, but the midfielder was more successful in her second attempt, giving Wheaton the lead just inside 10 minutes when she used her head to divert Morgan Beamer's looping ball into the box and left the goalkeeper grasping at thin air. This early goal proved to be the green light the Wheaton attack needed to take over the match, and their subsequent pressure in and around the Carthage box was unrelenting. The Firebirds forced an important save from Ketchum in a one-on-one counterattacking situation, but apart from this lone chance, the opening exchanges were dominated by the Thunder. The only question that remained was whether Wheaton would be able to turn their supremacy into goals.

Leading scorer Grace Hermanson answered that question in style when she collected a layoff from Mia Blair at the top of the Carthage box, allowed the ball to roll across her body, and curled a sumptuous strike into the top left corner. Her goal was followed almost immediately by one from Sophie Lindquist, with the two players seemingly locked in a friendly competition for the top scorer award. Lindquist's fifth strike of the season was a clinically dispatched volley that came off her right boot as Izzy McNally's long cross landed just in front of her and a defender. It appeared as though the Carthage player would be able to clear it away without too much trouble, but Lindquist reacted the quickest and drove the ball home to triple Wheaton's advantage. In the ensuing minutes, the visitors managed to find some creative outlets going forward and finally began getting their shots away. After a save from Ketchum and two blocked efforts at goal, the Firebirds had their reward on 38 minutes, when Jenny Garcia received a pass 20 yards from the Wheaton goal, danced past her defender, and calmly stroked it past the outstretched keeper. The Thunder managed three more shots in the closing minutes of the first half, but the Carthage goal halted the hosts' momentum and planted a seed of doubt in the minds of the Wheaton faithful heading into halftime.

Returning for the second period with a 3-1 lead, Wheaton wasted no time rediscovering their attacking groove, firing off two shots and winning a couple of corner kicks as well. But once again they were undone on the counterattack, as Carthage found a second goal in impressive fashion just five minutes into the half. Madison Zaleski had both assists on the night for the Firebirds, and she set this one up by finding teammate Faith Roberts, who collected the ball a few yards outside the box and flashed it in with a powerful effort in a manner similar to that of Garcia's initial strike. The Carthage bench erupted in celebrations, as the visitors sensed the nerves beginning to set in around Joe Bean Stadium. Despite being overrun in the first 35 minutes of the match, the Firebirds were suddenly back in the contest thanks to two excellently taken goals. By this point, the Thunder realized that simply scoring again may be their best form of defense, and fortunately for the home side, their fourth of the night followed not long after Carthage's second. 

Sexson forced two saves from the Carthage keeper immediately following the restart, and while she was unable to tally a second goal in the match, she picked up an assist, albeit in the most unexpected fashion. From a throw in near the opposite sideline, Jensen Ellis and Sexson played a one-two combination with each other, and Ellis ended up claiming her first goal of the season when she lofted the subsequent cross all the way over the Carthage goalkeeper, who was unsighted by the height and trajectory of the strike. While the goal was not the first impressive effort from long range on the year for the Wheaton team, it was certainly one of the most unorthodox, and the stadium crowd was stunned to see the ball bounce underneath the crossbar and over the goal line. Fluke or not, it turned out to be a calming reassurance for Wheaton after they unexpectedly found their once-significant lead under threat. Ellis's goal arrived with 28 minutes remaining, and after the ball was put back in play, the Wheaton defense limited Carthage to just one more attempt through the rest of the match. 

Grace Hermanson, who had a busy and productive performance throughout, got the final say on Saturday night, adding Wheaton's fifth and final goal with only three minutes to go. Once again, Mia Blair was the provider, as she stepped in front of a Carthage player to win the ball back and knock it in the direction of Hermanson. The senior forward took a couple of touches to control the ball and steady herself, before dispatching another quality effort into the top left corner from 23 yards out. This postage stamp finish set the seal on a fabulous attacking display from the Thunder, and gave Wheaton their fifth straight win in conference play. The Firebirds were good value on the night, scoring two fine goals and showing no lack of desire, but when it became clear that the Wheaton attackers brought their shooting boots with them, there was only going to be one winner.

Next up for the Thunder is a nonconference trip to Dominican University on Tuesday, October 19th, before returning home next weekend to host Elmhurst in Wheaton's senior day match.