NORTHFIELD, Minn. – Junior
Tessa Anderson matched the school record for goals in a game by scoring all four goals for the St. Olaf College women's soccer team in a 4-0 non-conference victory over Finlandia University on Sunday afternoon at Rolf Mellby Field.
Anderson scored twice in each half for St. Olaf (2-1-1) in the program's first-ever meeting with Finlandia (2-2-1). The junior's four-goal performance is the fourth time in recorded program history that an Ole has scored four goals in a game and the first since Kajsa Brindley '16 against Gustavus on Oct. 5, 2013.
For the game, the Oles outshot the Lions by a 56-1 margin and the 56 shots is the second-highest total in recorded program history. St. Olaf's 21 shots on goal are the most since the 2008 team had the same number in a 10-0 victory over Ripon on Aug. 29, 2008.
Finlandia held St. Olaf scoreless for nearly the first half hour until Anderson broke the deadlock in the 30th minute, sliding the ball into the lower-left corner of the goal after running onto a pass from sophomore
Marissa Lindaman. The assist was the first collegiate point for Lindaman.
Just over eight minutes later, Anderson doubled the Oles' lead when her shot from the top of the box deflected off of a Lions' defender and into the lower-left corner of the net.
The score remained 3-0 until Anderson completed her hat trick in the 80th minute off of an assist from senior
Hayley Hoffmann. Hoffmann collected a loose ball 25 yards out and played the ball to the left side of the box to Anderson, who did the rest by finishing from 12 yards out.
Anderson closed out the scoring with the record-tying goal in the 86th minute, firing the ball into the top-left corner of the net from outside the box on the left after collecting a pass from senior
Grace Maxwell.
Junior
Grace Sprangers earned the win in goal for St. Olaf, playing the first 69 minutes before giving way for sophomore
Maddie Black. Mikayla Brown and Aspen Wallin combined for 17 saves for Finlandia, with Brown taking the loss.
The Oles head to Bethel on Tuesday, Sept. 14 for their Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) opener at 4 p.m.
