St. Norbert Tops Grinnell Behind Another Vanden Avond Hat Trick

From Sports Information Director, November 8, 2013 | Women's Soccer
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

DE PERE - St. Norbert College advanced to the championship game of the Midwest Conference Women's Soccer Tournament with a 3-1 semifinal win over Grinnell College at Schneider Stadium.

The Green Knights (13-4-2) will face Monmouth College (12-4-2) in the tournament championship at 6 p.m. Saturday at Schneider Stadium. The Scots advanced to the championship with a 3-2 win over Lake Forest College.

St. Norbert's Katie Vanden Avond registered her seventh hat trick of the season and the 17th of her career by scoring all three of the Green Knights' goals. Vanden Avond put the Green Knights ahead at the 14:28 mark when she took a crossing feed from Shannon Jung and finished. Vanden Avond gave the Green Knights a 2-0 lead to take into halftime when she finished from the top of the box at 24:42, with Kellan Zimmer assisting.

Vanden Avond scored again, her 35th of the season, to make her only the 16th player in NCAA Division III history to score at least 35 goals in a season. Vanden Avond took a rebound from a Maddie Packard shot and finished at 79:44.

Grinnell's Patty Murphy-Geiss scored the Pioneers' lone goal at 84:06 on a penalty kick.

St. Norbert outshot Grinnell 19-7. Sarah Platzer made two saves for the Green Knights, while Jordan Young made four saves in the first 45 minutes in taking the loss for Grinnell.