BANNOCKBURN, Ill. —The Trojans opened their season on a steamy Tuesday afternoon at Schartner Field, suffering a 7-0 drubbing at the hands of the Wildcats of Indiana Wesleyan University.

Right from the get-go, the Wildcats out possessed the Trojans, but Trinity held firm behind a resilient defensive effort until senior midfielder Riley Spoltman broke the deadlock in the 20th minute, firing a rocket from point blank range that beat goalkeeper Sarah Davis. Wesleyan doubled their advantage just 10 minutes later on Sydney Stott's first career tally, assisted by Sarah Foulk, and opened it up to a three-goal advantage when Foulk converted a penalty after a scramble in the box resulted in a Trojan foul. With the Trojans still reeling from the Wildcat surge, senior forward Kenzie Millar tallied a brace in a span of under four minutes. Her first goal was set up by a firm and accurate cross from Emily Carter and her second came on a rebound let up by Davis, who made a brilliant initial save, one of her five in the contest and four in the first half, before Millar punched in the rebound.

Trailing 5-0 entering the second half, the Trojans sought to get some momentum rolling by improving their form in the final 45 minutes. While it seemed like more of the same was on the horizon after a sensational scorcher of a pass by Lauren Turner was tucked in by Jackie Norris, the Trojan defense stiffened as time rolled on. While the Wildcats continually substituted players on and off the pitch, making some stoppages look more like a hockey line change than anything typically seen in soccer, the Trojans continued to battle with the same core of players. Trinity showed tremendous resolve, allowing just seven shots in the second frame while holding the Wildcats off the scoresheet for a 40-minute span. Defenders Zoe Villont, Morgan Busick, and Micah Wassink were among the key contributors on the defensive end as the Trojans battled through the stifling heat and unabating sun to slow the Wildcat attack. However, Indiana Wesleyan would break through one more time before the final whistle, with senior Deja Edwards coming off the bench to notch her team's seventh goal.

While it obviously wasn't the opener the Trojans were looking for in Morgan Helms' head coaching debut, the Trojans showed a lot of heart despite the heat and lopsided final score. While they struggled at times on set pieces and throw-ins, some of the rust can certainly be chalked up to a new system and this being the season opener. More important than the technical shortcomings was the fact that the Trojans, despite rostering 12 less players than the Wildcats and not even having all of their 19 listed players active for the contest, never gave up from the opening kick to the final whistle. Better times are doubtless ahead, but today simply wasn't the Trojans' day.
 
Up Next
The Trojans (0-1-0) will seek to right the ship when they travel to Spring Arbor, Michigan for a non-conference clash with the Cougars of Spring Arbor University. Kick-off is scheduled for 6:00pm ET at the Cougar Soccer Complex in Spring Arbor, Michigan.
 

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Trinity International University is a comprehensive, national university affiliated with the Evangelical Free Church of America and located in Bannockburn, Illinois, 25 miles north of Chicago. TIU educates men and women to engage in God's redemptive work in the world by cultivating academic excellence, Christian faithfulness, and lifelong learning.