Monmouth, Ill. - The Alma College women's soccer team secured its first victory of the 2015 season Sunday (Sept. 6) afternoon, dispatching Monmouth by an 8-1 margin. Five different Scots scored during the contest, led by junior Jessica Burg (Grand Ledge, Mich./Grand Ledge), who notched her first career hat trick. The win also marked the first victory at Alma for Ashley Bingaman, who is in her first season as head coach of the Scots.

Alma got on the board quickly when sophomore Whitnee Foote (Mt. Pleasant, Mich./Mt. Pleasant) scored in the second minute to give the Scots a 1-0 advantage. Burg made it 2-0 in the eighth minute, scoring unassisted, while sophomore Taylor Roberts (Jackson, Mich./Northwest) tallied her first collegiate goal in the 18th minute to help the Scots pull away.

Monmouth's lone goal came in the 20th minute when Darice Brooks found the back of the net to make it 3-1 at the half.

In the second half, Alma scored five times, including goals by Burg in the 46th and 50th minutes to complete the hat trick. Foote adding another marker in the 57th minute for her first career multi-goal game, while senior Kelly Wilson (Midland, Mich./Dow) and junior Macayla Greiner (Hart, Mich./Hart) scored in the 59th and 81st minutes, respectively.

Overall, the Scots outshot Monmouth by a 19-2 margin. Sophomore Kelsey Postema (Marshall, Mich./Marshall) stopped two of Monmouth's three shots, while freshman Becca Gamble (Midland, Mich./Dow) also saw significant time in goal during the second half.

Alma will open the home portion of its 2015 schedule on Saturday, Sept. 12, when it hosts Albion to begin play in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association. Kickoff is scheduled for Noon at Scotland Yard on the campus of Alma College.

QUOTES

Head Coach Ashley Bingaman

On the win...

"We had things we had to work on and fix from the last time out (at Central) and one of those was playing our game at our tempo right away from the start and we should dictate it. So Whitnee (Foote) scored in the first two minutes and it went from there. We played calm and composed, like we know we can do. We didn't let the outside factors, like the heat, get to us, our movement was much sharper and we were attacking out of the back better. All around it was pretty good and this is the step that we needed to get ready for conference play."

On her first win as Alma's head coach ...

"It feels great. The team has worked for it, they deserve it, and it is just the start of what's to come."

Contact: Paul Thomas (989-463-7114, thomaspw@alma.edu)