Lady Pioneers tie single-season win record with 3-0 victory over Heidelberg Saturday
Nicholls scores two goals and has one assist in win

Oct. 8, 2005
MARIETTA, Ohio – Even poor weather cannot slow down the Marietta College women's soccer team.

The Lady Pioneers battled a competitive Heidelberg team in rainy conditions Saturday (Oct. 8) and came out on top with a 3-0 victory to remain undefeated though 13 games of the 2005 season. With the win, Marietta improved to 12-0-1 overall and 3-0 in the Ohio Athletic Conference, while Heidelberg fell to 4-7-1, 0-3 in the OAC. The 12 victories ties the school record for single-season wins in a year; the Pioneers finished with 12 victories in both 2003 and 2004.

Marietta, however, has much higher goals in mind for the 2005 campaign and took one step closer to obtaining those Saturday when they defeated the Student Princes to stay atop the OAC standings.

Sophomore Vanessa Nicholls (Cornwall, ONT, Canada) gave the Lady Pioneers a 1-0 advantage in the 12th minute when she headed a pass from senior Amy Lehosit (Pickerington) into the back of the net for her third goal of the season.

The score remain 1-0 after 45 minutes, but it took only 14 seconds into the second half for Marietta to extend its lead to 2-0. Junior Jill Sorboro (Cuyahoga Falls) scored by hitting a shot just inside the left post for her third goal of the year. Nicholls assisted Sorboro on the goal.

It was Nicholls again that provided the scoring in the 58th minute when she found an opening and drilled the ball past the keeper for her second goal of the game.

Marietta's defense, who was solid all day, made the three-goal lead stand up and helped senior Bethany Blahnik (Mansfield/Ontario) pick up her ninth shutout of the season. Blahnik finished with six saves in the victory, the 43rd of her career. It was also her 29th shutout and both are school records.

The Lady Pioneers will look to move their win streak to nine when they visit Muskingum Tuesday (Oct. 11) for a 4 p.m. showdown with the Fighting Muskies.