Marietta women's soccer routes Heidelberg on Senior Day
Lady Pioneers tie school record with five assists in 8-0 victory

Oct. 19, 2007
MARIETTA, Ohio — The Marietta College women's soccer team knew Friday (Oct. 19) afternoon's game was an important one at Marietta Field. The Pioneers, who were playing in front of both a Senior Day and Homecoming crowd, improved their place in the Ohio Athletic Conference standings with an 8-0 victory over visiting Heidelberg College.

The win improves Marietta's record to 8-6-1 overall and 3-4 in the OAC. It also gives them nine points in the standings, which ties them for fifth place with Wilmington. The Quakers have a chance to move into sole possession of that spot, depending on their outcome Saturday at John Carroll. The top six teams will make the OAC Tournament. Heidelberg falls to 4-12 overall and 2-5 in the OAC.

Before the game, Marietta recognized its six seniors, Colby Cardwell (Anchorage, Alaska/Robert Service), Natalie Jackson (Circleville), Kileen Lehman (Elyria/Elyria Catholic), Vanessa Nicholls (Cornwall, Ontario, Canada/Cornwall Collegiate), Marianne Siders (Belle, W.Va./Riverside) and Jenny Wickerham (Massillon/Jackson).

The Pioneers came out with intensity and quickly took control of the game. Nicholls set up the first goal, which was scored by junior Jessica Martinez (Strongsville/Magnificat), with a thru ball from midfield. Martinez finished it off with a shot past Heidelberg's keeper Lauren Sweeney to give Marietta a 1-0 lead.

Martinez made it 2-0 two minutes later. She received a pass from freshman Kaley Donovan (Canfield) as she was racing down the right side and fired a shot from just outside the 6 that curved inside the right post. The goal, which was her seventh of the year, increased her career total to 20 goals, which ranks third all-time at Marietta.

Martinez, who also moved into third all-time with 45 points, was on the other end of the next goal. She set up Siders with a pass from the right post to the left post just outside the 6. Siders finished it with a strike to the back side to make it 3-0 in the 23rd minute.

Nicholls added to the score with an unassisted goal in the 40th minute. She was able to free herself from the defense and beat Sweeney from the right side with a shot into the left corner.

Donovan got back into the action with goals in the 46th and 49th minutes. The first was assisted by Nicholls with a cross inside the 6, while the second was a shot over the keeper from 30 yards out, making the score 6-0.

Nicholls, who is now tied for sixth all-time with 14 goals and nine assist, added a second goal of the game after beating the keeper in the 54th minute. Nicholls also tied the school record with two assists in the game.

Sophomore Christ Tims(Olmsted Township/Olmsted Falls) capped the scoring with a goal in the 68th minute. The goal, Tims' second of the year, was assisted by junior Amanda Fishburn (Cincinnati/Seton).

Overall, Marietta out-shot Heidelberg 17-13 and 11-7 in shots on goal. The Pioneers tied a school record with five assists and were one shy of tying the school mark for goals in a game, which came against Waynesburg in 1995.

Freshman keeper Helen Hetzel (Radnor/Buckeye Valley) made six saves en route to her sixth shutout of the season. Sweeney had seven saves in the loss.

Marietta will look to move further up the standings in its final week of the regular season. The Pioneers will begin with a match-up at Wilmington on Tuesday (Oct. 23) at 7 p.m. and then end the regular season with a visit to John Carroll Friday (Oct. 26) at 4 p.m.