EIU women’s soccer won 3-0 against the University of Illinois Springfield Thursday evening at Lakeside Field.

Alex Tetteh, a sophomore forward, was the difference maker in today’s game scoring a hat trick within the first twenty minutes.

Coach Dirk Bennet says that Tetteh’s hat trick today is the start of something new in the program.

“We always knew that the floodgates at some point would burst open, and it just happened today so we’re really excited to see that,” said Bennet.

This marks a major milestone in her season, with her matching her goal amount from last season in this game alone.

Tetteh’s first goal came off of a header Kate Germano, the junior midfielder, sent in the cross. This goal came in the third minute of the match.

Tetteh’s second was another header, this time the cross being sent in by Colleen Bauer the freshman defender. This goal was in the twelfth minute of the match.

Tetteh’s third goal was a penalty won after Tetteh was fouled in the penalty box. She then went to take the spot kick and scored in the twentieth minute

EIU’s use of crossing in today’s game seemed to have been the plan from the beginning. Coach Bennet said that they have been working on finding ways to score in games and that playing a game focused on getting the ball into the box was what worked best today.

Coach Bennet also said his team today was keeping the focus on the game.

“We’ve been challenging the girls to focus, especially at the start of games,” he said.

That focus at the start of the game was a major part of Eastern’s win today. After the first three goals play slowed down, there were major chances on both sides but none that were ever capitalized on.

A major factor in the slowing of the pace of the game was the heat today with it being 88 degrees at kickoff.

Bennet said, “Today we knew there was going to be a lot of heat.”

Today also had major defensive accomplishments with this being the team’s second clean sheet of the season. The defense excelled so much that the second-division Springfield Prairie Stars did not have a shot on goal for the entire game.

This win brings the team to a 2-2-1 record. They will play again on Sept. 1 at Eastern Kentucky. The next time Eastern will play at home is Sept. 8, where they will play against Northern Illinois at the Lakeside Field.

Emerson Reynolds can be reached at 581-2812 or at etreynolds@eiu.edu.