A pair of goals in each half propelled the #8 Aquinas women's soccer team to a 4-1 non-conference home victory on Saturday (Sept. 2) over visiting St. Ambrose. The Saints scored first at the AQ Athletic Field and although the Bees knotted the score at 1-1, Aquinas netted the final three tallies for the triumph.
 
After a scoreless draw with another highly ranked team - #14 Indiana Wesleyan – in the Aug. 23 season opener, the Saints were eager to show off their high-powered offense. They did just that on Saturday, scoring twice in each half and with four different Saints providing the goals. AQ (1-0-1) outshot St. Ambrose (0-3) by a 29-5 margin, including a 13-3 edge in shots on target.
 
Sydney Shenk had already taken a pair of shots that were saved by the Bees goalkeeper in the opening 10 minutes, but she was able to crack through in the 11th minute. After a Maeva Lichtensteiger attempt was blocked, Shenk took the rebound and finished past the keeper into the right side of the net for AQ's first goal of the season. 
 
It was Shenk's 35th career goal. She is five goals from reaching the 40-goal mark, which has only been done by former teammate Hannah Crum (school-record 73 goals) and recent Hall of Famer Amy Panse (41 from 1997-00).
 
St. Ambrose put some pressure on the Saints in the ensuing minutes and were able to sneak one past the AQ defense at the 19:37 mark. Abigail Goff assisted the Mary Evans goal for the equalizer, making it 1-1. 
 
Sophomore Stephanie Ramos subbed into the game for AQ in the 24th minute and put the Saints in front with her first career goal at the 40:28 mark. She delivered a beautiful ball from roughly 25 yards out into the top right corner of the net to give Aquinas the 2-1 lead heading into halftime. AQ outshot the Bees 15-3 in the opening 45 minutes.
 
A one-minute stretch in the second half turned the game from a nailbiter into a wide margin. Aquinas totaled six shots and a pair of corner kicks before breaking through in the 59th minute. Laia Cunill dribbled up the right side in front of the Saints bench and played a great ball into the box, where Marie-Louise Abild took it at close range and put it past the keeper for the 3-1 advantage. A steady contributor throughout her career, Abild (with eight career assists) recorded her first goal as a Saint.
 
St. Ambrose had a bit of a mental mistake in the following minute, which allowed Lichtensteiger to get past the Bees goalkeeper and easily tap in AQ's fourth goal of the contest. It came just 44 seconds after Abild's tally and extended the Saints' lead to a 4-1 cushion. Lichtensteiger now has seven career goals after her six-goal 2022 campaign.
 
The Bees would manage just two shots the rest of the game – one blocked by the AQ defense and the other saved by goalie Kayla Shuk. She made two saves in the victory.
 
Shenk led AQ with seven shots (three on goal), while Lichtensteiger recorded five attempts. Macy Hollingsowrth (four), Cunill (three), Ramos, Ariana Garcia, and Olivia Bowling (two each) all recorded multiple shots.
 
The last time Aquinas had four different goal scorers in a game was on Oct. 19, 2022 in a 5-2 home victory over Siena Heights.
 
AQ will have a strong road test next Thursday (Sept. 7) with a 6:00 p.m. matchup at #20 Campbellsville. The Saints' last trip to Campbellsville was a hard-fought 2-1 win on Sept. 3, 2021.