With four goals in the first half, the UW-Eau Claire women’s soccer team defeated conference foe UW-Platteville 6-1 Wednesday.

Head coach Sean Yengo thought the team came out uncharacteristically slow in the first 15 minutes, but that they really picked things up from there. After a leisurely start, the team began pounding shots at an impressive pace, before finally netting a goal in the 27th minute.

Sophomore Rachel Nerison took a shot that was deflected and landed right on the foot of senior Alli Kishaba. Kishaba controlled the ball and placed it in the corner, scoring the first goal of the game, and igniting the Blugold offense.

Three minutes went by before Eau Claire picked up another goal, this time it came on a header from Senior Sam Krueger.

“It was a corner kick that got flicked up,” Krueger said. “I figured I should try to head it towards the top corner of the goal and it went in.”

Krueger and the defense were stingy the entire game and seemed to be winning every ball out of the air, taking away many of Platteville’s chances. The important thing, Krueger said, is to not think twice about going up for a header, and that’s why she thinks the team was so successful out of the air.

In the 38th minute, junior Ali Mater received a pass that rolled past the goalkeeper’s outstretched arms and blasted it into the open net with the keeper still on the ground. Mater picked up another goal less than two minutes later on a shot out of the air.

“Someone headed the ball straight up and I was able to volley it in,” Mater said about the second goal.

The two goals were the second and third of the season for Mater.

Despite the deficit, Platteville refused to give up, and got on the board with four minutes to go in the half. Sophomore goalkeeper Emily Kidd came up with the initial save, but was unable to get a hand on the rebound.

The Blugolds came out of the half and blasted numerous shots and trying to test the Platteville keeper and build on their 4-1 lead.

Eau Claire outshot Platteville a remarkable 36-4 during the game, taking more shots Wednesday than in their previous two games combined.

Yengo said taking a lot of shots isn’t something he stresses, but thinks it’s good to go by the motto “if you’ve got it, take it.”

The high volume of shots continued to pay off in the 69th minute when freshman Shyla Gilbertson added to the Eau Claire lead. Gilbertson’s goal was her sixth of the year which leads the team.

Six minutes passed before sophomore Rachel Nerison picked up the Blugolds sixth and final goal. With five shots in the game, Nerison outshot the entire Platteville team, which only attempted four.

Kidd and sophomore Cameron Stoeger split time in goal during the game to help pick up the victory.

The Blugolds are now 5-2-1 overall, and 3-0-0 in the conference and have won four consecutive games.

“They are really starting to have confidence in each other,” Yengo said. “I’m seeing better leadership on the field and we’ve also had better communication; all of those things are really important to us.”