ASHLAND, Wis. – It's been a remarkable spring season for the Yellowjacket women's soccer team.
 
First, they won their first five games of the season, marking the first time in program history that feat was accomplished. Then, with a win Saturday, the Yellowjackets would finish second in the UMAC standings, the highest finish ever for the program. More importantly, a win would lock the Yellowjackets into the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament next week.
 
The Yellowjackets took all the drama out of this one early and dominated from start to finish on the way to an 8-0 shutout of Northland at Ponzio Stadium in Ashland.
 
It was as dominant a performance as the Yellowjackets (6-2-0, 6-2-0 UMAC) have turned in all season, especially in the opening half when the Yellowjackets outshot Northland 16-1, including an edge of 12-1 in shots on goal, and put five goals on the board.
 
The scoring started early for the Yellowjackets, just 1:07 into the match when Claire Smith (Hayward, Wis./Hayward) scored her first goal of the year on an assist from Niya Wilson (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) to make it 1-0. Just over 10 minutes later it was Wilson's turn, as she converted an Annah Schussman (Bemidji, Minn./Bemidji) setup to make it 2-0. Wilson added her second goal of the match and eighth of the year in the 24th minute to increase the lead to 3-0.
 
Less than four minutes after the third marker Allison Alessi (Shakopee, Minn./Prior Lake) scored her fifth of the year to increase the Yellowjacket lead to 4-0. Then, with just over four minutes to play in the half, Tori Vosburg (Cloquet, Minn./Esko) found the back of the net for her first goal of the year, and the 'Jackets were up 5-0, a lead they would take into halftime.
 
As the second half unfolded the Yellowjackets picked up right where they left off in the first half. Olivia Harding (Phillips, Wis./Phillips) scored her second goal of the year in the 59th minute to make it a 6-0 game.
 
Freshman midfielder Lindrey Schendel (Firestone, Colo./Skyline), who has been playing extremely well this spring, scored her first collegiate goal in the 67th minute to push the Yellowjacket lead up to seven.

Then, with 3:37 to go in the match, the person who started the scoring ended, as Smith scored her second of the match, again on an assist from Wilson, to make the final 8-0.
 
Dynamic freshman Wilson had another strong outing, scoring twice and adding a pair of assists for a six-point match. She also attempted nine shots and had seven shots on goal, both team highs. In addition to her goal, Schendel attempted six shots and had four shots on goal.
 
For the match, the Yellowjackets attempted 33 shots and finished with 23 shots on goal, far and away a season high. The previous single-game best came April 7 when the Yellowjackets had 16 shots on goal in a win over North Central.
 
Goalkeeper Morgan Philliber (Apple Valley, Minn./Edina) picked up her fifth shutout of the season, making two saves in the match. She is now 6-2 on the year with a goals against average of 0.71 and a save percentage of .821.
 
The Yellowjackets will host a first round UMAC playoff game against Minnesota Morris Wednesday, May 5. The start time of the contest will be determined at a later date.