MILWAUKEE – Jelena Sever scored off the opening kickoff to set a new NCAA record and help jumpstart the Milwaukee women's soccer team to a 7-0 victory over Youngstown State Sunday afternoon at Engelmann Stadium.
 
The Panthers (9-1, 4-0 Horizon League) made it 4-0 by the break against the Penguins (1-7-3, 1-1-2 Horizon League), with Sever's goal officially going down on the scoresheet at the :03 mark – breaking the NCAA record of :04 to start a game held by two others (done in 2009 and 2006).
 
"We just talked about being sharp and moving the ball," head coach Troy Fabiano said. "But obviously, to get a goal in three seconds is just Jelena being creative and recognizing the situation. Obviously, she had to deliver and this one worked. After that I just think we were just pretty good moving the ball and being dangerous."
 
Sever booted the opening kickoff on goal, sailing over the YSU goalkeeper's head, bouncing about six yards away from the goal and bounding high off the underside of the net on the first hop. The goal was first credited at the :04 mark at that time, but after further video review postgame, the time was changed to :03.


 
With a buzz in the air, the Milwaukee offense just kept the foot on the gas pedal, using a 21-to-0 advantage in shots over the first 45 minutes to build a 4-0 lead at intermission.
 
"To score 14 goals in the last two games?," Fabiano stated. "We knew we had the depth, but we didn't know what that looked like in game minutes. We see them in training, but Lesley coming in for Haley [Johnson is injured] and she scored four goals this week. Kat for Auble [Auble was lost for the season in game three] has been playing pretty well too, so we haven't missed much of a beat."
 
More history was made on the second goal, with Gaby Schwartz sending in a corner kick that was headed home by Maggy Henschler at the 22:06 mark. That marked the first goal for Henschler on the season but the 37^th assist of Schwartz's career – breaking the MKE career record of 36 formerly held by Kate Megna (2006-09).
 
Rachel Phillpotts was next, and it was a Schwartz corner yet again, making it 3-0 at the 34:40 mark and upping Schwartz's NCAA-leading assist total to 15 on the season.
 
Kat Van Booven then got in on the action, taking a ball from near midfield and dribbling into the box, around traffic, before sending in her fourth of the year in the 36^th minute.
 
YSU regrouped at the break and did a much better job limiting Milwaukee and maintaining possession for a bit, but eventually the Panthers broke through for more.
 
Van Booven added her second, heading in a goal on a nice combination of passes from Taylor Hattori and Mackenzie Schill. Her fifth of the season came at the 60:44 mark.
 
Next, it was Lesley Kiesling's turn, finding a way to record a brace of her own – her second two-goal game in a row – over the final eight minutes of the match.
 
Up first was a PK, which she took after getting taken to the ground in the box on a foul. After converting that, she netted her second on a tough angle from the endline, getting a bit of a deflection after taking a pass from Lainey Higgins to wrap up the scoring at the 83:47 mark at 7-0.
 
Milwaukee put together impressive totals of 30-to-3 in shots, 19-to-1 in shots on goal, 9-to-2 in corner kicks, as well as holding 59 percent of possession on the day. Kiesling led the offense with six shots, while Van Booven was next with four, with each leading the way with the two goals apiece.
 
In net, Elaina LaMacchia (60:44) and Allie Strottman (one save in 29:16) combined for the shared shutout, the eighth of the campaign for the Panthers.
 
Up next, Horizon League play continues with a home game against Purdue Fort Wayne, set for a 7 p.m. kick Oct. 2.