SHELDON, Iowa – The Iowa Lakes women's soccer team delivered a commanding performance Saturday, defeating Northwest Iowa Community College 8–0 in ICCAC play. The match concluded in the 70th minute, marking the first time in conference history that the new NJCAA mercy rule—ending play with an eight-goal lead—has been applied.
The Lakers set the tone early when Maddy Waterhouse scored in the 9th minute from Ines Balaghni and Mahee Montenegro. Montenegro doubled the lead in the 37th minute, assisted by Stina Mathews and Balaghni, then struck again just three minutes later off passes from Emma Fournie and Mathews.
Just before halftime, Amelie Prie made it 4–0, scoring directly off a corner kick from Fournie—the second consecutive match in which the pair has connected on a goal from a corner.
The second half opened with a flurry as Ana Zamorano netted back-to-back goals in the 47th and 49th minutes, assisted by Zoe Lawrence, Montenegro, and Balaghni. Balaghni then added a goal of her own in the 63rd minute, and Mathewscompleted the scoring in the 65th with assists from Lawrence and Fournie.
Goalkeeper Holly Poole recorded her seventh clean sheet of the season, anchoring a back line that stayed composed and organized throughout despite the hot conditions and strong 21 MPH winds. Iowa Lakes controlled possession and tempo from start to finish, showcasing sharp ball movement and confident attacking play.
Head Coach Mukwa Ogitchida praised his team's focus and effort through a challenging midseason stretch:
"We have been grinding through the middle of the season, all that great team bonding at the start of the year is being put to the test. To have a day like this is justification for all the hard work. Now, there are just three games left, and everything to play for."
With the win, the Lakers improve to 7–4–1 overall and remain firmly in the hunt for the ICCAC championship. Iowa Lakes returns home Saturday, October 11, to face Western Iowa Tech in another key conference matchup.