Esrock's Hat Trick Leads Foresters Over Visiting Grinnell
Team could clinch a spot in MWC Tournament on Sunday

Becky Esrock

Emily Weber

Lake Forest freshman forward Becky Esrock (St. Louis, Mo./Whitfield School) scored three goals in the game for her third "hat trick" of the season. She started the scoring just 70 seconds into the contest after taking a pass from senior Jocelyn Maneval (Fairfax, Va./James W. Robinson), who had made an overlapping run from her defensive position. The only Forester goal not scored by Esrock was what turned out to be the game-winner, a header by junior Emily Weber (Cincinnati, Ohio/Seven Hills Upper School) off classmate Bianca Greene's (Santa Monica, Calif./Santa Monica) corner kick at 25:00. It was Weber's first goal and Greene's team-high 12th assist of the season.

Lake Forest attempted 16 shots without surrendering any to Grinnell in the opening 45 minutes. "The first half was probably the best soccer we have played all year," noted Forester head coach T.R. Bell. "Everyone was on the same page both offensively and defensively."

Esrock struck again just 31 seconds into the second half. She scored off a pass from fellow freshman forward Lisa Sorensen (Muskegon, Mich./Western Michigan Christian), who had beaten her defender around the corner, come down the touch line, and laid the ball back to Esrock. Sorensen also assisted on the final goal of the contest, her shot from the left side was saved by the Grinnell goalie but the rebound was kicked in by Esrock, who leads the Foresters with 17 goals this season, just two shy of the team record. The Pioneers netted their only goal with 16:45 to play in the contest.

Lake Forest was out-shot 9-3 in the second half but three saves by Forester freshman Bri Schleibinger (Spring Grove, Ill./Richmond Burton) helped seal the victory and lower her goals against average on the season to 1.75.

The Foresters will play at Beloit College tomorrow afternoon at 1:00. A victory would clinch a spot for them in the four-team MWC Tournament November 6-7.

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