Purmonen Nets Brace in 4-2 Win at Madonna

LIVONIA, MI - UNOH women's soccer opened WHAC play Saturday with a 4-2 win on the road at Madonna. Both teams scored two goals in the first half, but the Racers locked down in the second and netted two more more goals to take a 4-2 win.

The first goal of the game came in the 16th minute after UNOH muscled away a Madonna throw-in in their defensive half of the field. Nanna Rosengreen split two defenders from midfield with a perfect through ball giving Natalia Lima Da Silva a chance to track it down in space. The Crusader goalie charged off her line to try to beat Da Silva to the ball, but it was Da Silva winning the race as she side-stepped the keeper and finished into an open net. Madonna struck back in the 29th minute after picking up a foul in front of an open net that set up a converted penalty kick. 

It didn't take long for the Racers to jump back in front going end-to-end in the 31st minute. After a failed Crusader corner kick, the ball was cleared and landed in front of Natalia Lima Da Silva. Da Silva connected with Katie West streaking up the right wing with no defenders around. As a defender tried to close the gap, West crossed her face and found Vivian Purmonen at the top of the box. Once more the keeper charged but Purmonen wasted no time taking one touch and sending the ball across the box in front of the keeper to the opposite bottom corner. Madonna wasn't prepared to give up the match and leveled things once again in the 35th minute with a tight pass in the box that set up a near post shot and beat the keeper. 

UNOH wasted no time breaking the halftime deadlock netting a third and a fourth in the first four minutes of the second half. The game winner came in the 47th minute after Minni Laukka connected with Vivian Purmonen on a long through ball behind the midfield line. Purmonen lifted a pass over two defenders on her second touch to find Natalia Lima Da Silva at the top of the penalty box. Da Silva gathered as two defenders collapsed on her, threading the ball back to Purmonen in stride who lifted the ball over the keeper and into the back of the net. The Racers iced the match with a corner kick set piece less than three minutes later. Nanna Rosengreen placed the ball in the center of the box where Mathilda Berg Karlsson skied over her mark and headed the ball off the underside of the cross bar and into the goal for a 4-2 lead. Despite eleven combined shots over the final 41 minutes of play, neither team could light the board again giving the Racers a win to begin conference play.

Natalia Lima Da Silva put three of four shots on goal scoring once with one assist. Mathilda Berg Karlsson put three of five on target and Purmonen netted on her only two shots becoming the first Racer to score multiple goals in a match this season.

Silje Eikland (2-0-0) got her second career start making six saves over 90 minutes to pick up the win.

The Racers have now scored 15 goals in seven games this season notched by eleven different players adding Da Silva and Purmonen to the list of scorers.

UNOH will be off for a week before heading to Rochester Christian next Saturday.