Gasser's Return, First Half Goal Sparks Express Women In 5-0 Shut Out of Lake Michigan

Benton Harbor, MI---Haley Gasser, who missed all but one and a half games last year due to injury, scored the team's first goal in a 5-0 win over Lake Michigan College today. 

Gasser deposited the ball into the top right corner of the net on a shot from near the left sideline to put the her team up 1-0 with 22:01 left in the half. The goal, which came on an assist from Abby Groll, would spark an offensive onslaught for the Express.

Just less than six minutes later, with 16:16 left in the half, Jill Burkholder was taken down in the box and converted the ensuing penalty kick for a 2-0 lead. With 7:24 left, Jessica Grindle put one past the goalkeeper before Brittany Powell raced down the left sideline and beat her defender and the goalkeeper for a goal with 1:47 left in the half.

With a 4-0 lead and 26:24 left in the second half, Burkholder notched her second goal of the game on a deep shot from near the right sideline while standing near midfield.

The Express, who produced 15 shots on goal, got a shutout performance from goalkeeper Erika Brinkman. She had two saves. Eva Nemeth made seven saves for Lake Michigan.

Notes

Today's game marked the first one in program history for Lake Michigan.

The Express will take on No. 11 Muskegon Community College tomorrow at 3 p.m.

Burkholder, who finished second on the team in scoring last year, finished with two goals. The team's lone assist came from Groll, a freshman. Powell is also a freshman.

Gasser took a medical redshirt last year after producing a team-high 15 assists as a freshman two years ago.

Defender Kristina-Marie Rutherford played her first game in two years today after missing all of last year due to an offseason injury.