Chicago, Ill — Women's Soccer (13-1-1, 9-0-0) secured a decisive 5-1 victory over Dominican University (7-5-1, 5-3-0) at Stuart Field, with four second-half goals sealing the win.

The first half began with the Scarlet Hawks on the offensive, creating several early opportunities. Kelly Hitchcock and Tvesa Vathulya both attempted shots within the opening minutes, though neither found the target. The hosts maintained pressure, with Leyna Yonehara and Allison Murray also contributing attempts that were saved or off-target. 

Midway through the half, the Scarlet Hawks were granted a penalty kick, but Vathulya's attempt was unsuccessful as it sailed over the crossbar. Despite this, the team continued to press forward, with Kaitlyn Walsh and Grace Yager also testing the defense. The breakthrough came in the 43rd minute when Taylor Hernandez scored, giving the home side a 1-0 lead. The half concluded with Illinois Tech ahead, maintaining their advantage going into the break.

The second half began with the Scarlet Hawks quickly seizing momentum and going on a 4 goal run in a five minute span. Kayla Smith got the run started scoring in the 52nd minute, assisted by Kayla Thomas.. Just minutes later, Hitchcock converted a penalty kick after Vathulya drew the foul in the box. Vathulya added to the tally in the 56th minute, immediately followed by another goal from Hitchcock, which brought the score to 5-0.

The Stars managed to find the net with a penalty kick by Mia Dosen in the 77th minute, narrowing the deficit. The Scarlet Hawks concluded the period with a commanding 5-1 lead, maintaining control to secure the victory.

Illinois Tech Top Performers

Kayla Smith  
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- one goal  
- four shots  
- three shots on goal  
- one game-winning goal  

Kelly Hitchcock  
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- two goals  
- five shots  
- three shots on goal  

Taylor Hernandez  
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- one goal  
- four shots  
- three shots on goal  

Kayla Hampton  
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- 62:23 minutes played  
- one save  
- zero goals allowed  

Dominican Top Performers  

Gianna Stanek  
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- 10 saves  
- 90 minutes played  

Mia Dosen  
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- 1 goal  
- 3 shots  
- 2 shots on goal  

Game Notes:
- Illinois Tech improved to 4-9 overall against Dominican, winning the last 3 matches.

Up Next
the Scarlet Hawks will host Milwaukee School of Engineering in a battle of the top two teams in the NACC standings on Saturday, October 18. The matchup is set to begin at 1 p.m. at Stuart Field in Chicago, IL.