Augustana women’s soccer team win big with help from local student

By Dave Wrath

Augustana Associate Director of Athletics/Media/Alumni Relations

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — Coach Scott Mejia’s Augustana soccer team, which opened at number 21 in D3soccer.com’s week one poll, pick up a pair of emphatic wins.

At Thorson-Lucken Field on Friday, Sept. 11, seven different Vikings scored in a 9-1 pasting of Cornell. On Sunday, Sept. 13, the team traveled to the St. Louis area and defeated Webster 4-0. There are three matches on this week’s schedule

Senior Kelly Farell of St. Ursula Academy in Sylvania, Ohio had three goals last week and led the team with six this season. She also had one assist this year for a total of 13 points. She is now alone in fifth place on Augustana’s career goals list with 36 and ranks third all-time in assists (25) and fifth in points (97).

Freshman Andria Serra of Alleman High School in Silvis, Ill., who scored twice in the win over Webster, is next with three goals and an assist for seven points. Laquinta and senior Jessica Kras of Glenbard North High School in Carol Stream, Ill. have each scored two goals and junior Brianne Frys of Fremd High School in Palatine, Ill. led the Vikings with three assists.

The Augustana defense has allowed just five goals in five matches. Mejia’s back line has consisted, most often, of senior Stef Hamaker of Rockford Boylan High School from Caledonia, Ill., junior Hannah Lohmeier of Waunakee High School of Waunakee, Wis., sophomore Sammi Farkos of Homewood-Flossmoor High School of Flossmoor, Ill. and freshman Abby Wendell of Hersey High School in Arlington Heights, Ill.

Senior Meredith Chew of Paradise Valley High School in Phoenix, Ariz. is 4-1 in goal with an .808 save percentage and a goals against average of 1.04.

FENTON, Mo. – Freshman Andria Serra of Alleman High School in Silvis, Ill. scored twice and senior Kelly Farell of St. Ursula Academy in Sylvania, Ohio and sophomore Grace Laquinta of Lincoln East High School in Lincoln, Neb. found the net as well Sunday, Sept. 13 as Augustana defeated Webster 4-0 at Soccer Park.

Coach Scott Mejia’s Vikings, ranked 21st in the latest D3soccer.com poll, improved to 4-1, while the Gorloks fell to 2-3.

After getting off seven shots, including three on goal, in the match’s first 27 minutes, Augustana took a 1-0 lead in the 29th minute on Farell’s team-leading sixth goal of the season. The Vikings got off another five shots in the period, giving them a 13-4 advantage in that department, but couldn’t score and settled for a 1-0 halftime lead.

In the 60th minute, Laquinta tallied her second goal of the season to put the visitors up 2-0. Serra added a pair of goals three minutes apart to account for the final score. The first came in the 71st minute and the second—Serra’s third of the year—came in the 74th minute.

No assists were credited on any of Augustana’s scores. The Viking defense, led by senior Stef Hamaker of Rockford Boylan High School from Caledonia, Ill., junior Hannah Lohmeier of Waunakee High School in Waunakee, Wis. and sophomore Sammi Farkos of Homewood-Flossmoor High School in Flossmoor, Ill., limited Webster to just nine shot attempts in the match.

Augustana finished with 20 shots and a 5-3 advantage in corners. Mejia used three keepers in the combined shutout.

Senior Meredith Chew of Paradise Valley High School in Phoenix, Ariz. started in goal, went 73 minutes and recorded a pair of saves before yielding to sophomore Bailey Bradford of Deerfield High School in Riverwoods, Ill.

Bradford recorded two saves in 14 minutes of action and junior Margaret Williams of Rock Island High School in Rock Island, Ill. finished up.