Chicago, Ill. — Gabriella Baltes scored a late first-half goal, Kayla Hampton recorded five saves, and the Illinois Tech women's soccer team held off a tough North Central College squad secure a 1-0 non-conference match victory Wednesday night at Stuart Field, Illinois Tech improved to 2-0-0 on the young season with the victory. North Central College fell to 1-2-0 following the defeat.  

"Defensively we were solid," said Head Coach Roshane Ellison. "We showed a lot of character. I'm proud of the team's mentality and attitude."

Illinois Tech capitalized on their offensive momentum late in the first half to take a 1-0 lead over North Central. The half saw early attempts from the Scarlet Hawks' Taylor Hernandez, whose shots were both blocked and saved by the opposing goalkeeper, Lily Mattison. Despite several fouls from both sides, Illinois Tech broke the deadlock in the 40th minute with Baltes finding the net, assisted by Yager off a free kick. North Central struggled to convert their scoring opportunities, including a shot by Kassandra Salviola, which was saved by Hampton, keeping the Cardinals scoreless at the end of the half.  

The second half began with both teams making lineup adjustments. North Central applied offensive pressure early, with Madison DeVriendt taking a shot that was saved by Hampton at the 46:43 mark. Despite multiple shots on goal from North Central, Hampton recorded several key saves, including one from Yazmin Martinez in the 56th minute. Illinois Tech's Yager managed a shot on target in the 63rd minute, but it was saved by Mattison. The half was marked by a series of fouls and a yellow card issued to Brooke Nelson of North Central in the 68th minute. Ultimately, the defenses held strong, and the second half ended with neither team scoring, giving the Scarlet Hawks their 1-0 victory.

Scarlet Hawk Standouts

Kayla Hampton  
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- five saves  
- 90 minutes played  
- one shutout  

Gabriella Baltes  
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- one goal  
- one shot on goal  
- one game-winning goal 
- 90 minutes played

Grace Yager  
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- one assist  
- one shot on goal 
- 90 minutes played

Taylor Hernandez  
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- three shots  
- one shot on goal  

North Central College Top Performers  

Lily Mattison  
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- 4 saves  

Yazmin Martinez  
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- 2 shots  
- 1 shot on goal  

Kassandra Salviola  
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- 2 shots  
- 1 shot on goal  

Game Notes 
- North Central outshot Illinois Tech 13-8 for the game, including a 10-3 advantage in the second half.
- Illinois Tech improved to 3-2-1 overall versus North Central College in their series history.  
- The game was a rematch of the team's NCAA first round match last November 16th, won by the Scarlet Hawks 3-1.

Up Next
In their next game, Illinois Tech will host Elmhurst University at Stuart Field in Chicago, IL. The match is set for Saturday, Sept. 6, at 3 p.m.