Local Sports Journal
The host Western Michigan Christian Warriors turned a 2-1 halftime lead into a 7-2 victory over North Muskegon in girls soccer on Thursday night at Warrior Field.
Junior Alexys Riksen and senior Alyssa Benedict each scored first-half goals to stake WMC (7-1, 4-0) to a 2-0 lead after 40 minutes.
Western Michigan Christian’s Alyssa Benedict (17) scores her second goal of the game in WMC’s 7-2 soccer victory over North Muskegon. Photo/Randy Riksen.
But in the second half, the offensive floodgates opened as Riksen scored two more goals, Benedict one and one goal each from Maria Michael and Mikayla Erickson.
“The girls played so well tonight,” WMC coach David Hulings said. “This is what we have been looking for since the season began. The defenders did just a great job of stopping NM attacks, the midfielders really distributed the ball evenly and with variety and the forwards were making great runs off the ball.
Elise Slorf and Summer Patricio scored for North Muskegon.
“When it was 2-1 at half, the girls made a great adjustment of moving off the ball and making great passes” Hulings said. “Our attack in the 2nd half was the best it has been. The girls really took a step to closing out a game.”
Riksen and Benedict each had two assists and goalkeeper Lindsey Johnson posted the victory in net.
