Girls soccer: Steinbrink helps get Stevenson's offense going

The one thing missing for the Stevenson girls soccer team through the first couple weeks of the season had been goal-scoring.

That changed Tuesday.

The Patriots, who'd scored just 1 goal in their previous three games, came up with 4 of them in a 4-0 victory over visiting St. Ignatius in nonconference play.

Julie Steinbrink had 2 goals and assisted on another as Stevenson scored three times in the first half. Mackenzie Connington and Rachel Aranyi knocked in the other two for the Patriots.

"It's nice that the girls are starting to jell and starting to score," Stevenson coach Kevin Heffernan said. "It was talked about before the game that we had to put two halves together. That was the main thing, and we haven't done that. It was more important to get two solid halves in - which was accomplished. We did work with pushing up in numbers, which we hadn't done in the three previous games."

The Patriots (1-3) scored two quick goals in the opening five minutes. First Steinbrink scored on the run, taking a pass from Van Zanten in the second minute of play.

Then Steinbrink redirected a Savannah Kruse corner kick with a header, and Connington finished into the corner for a 2-0 advantage three minutes later.

Steinbrink got her second goal in the 20th minute off a service from Daniela Adjunta. Steinbrink beat two defenders and placed the ball into the lower corner for a 3-0 lead.

"I do really love attacking - that's my favorite thing to do off the ball," Steinbrink said. "We knew coming into the game we had the opportunity to score and build up with the offense more than the other games. We had worked on it in practice (Monday), and it paid off."

The Patriots added an insurance goal from Aranyi in the 56th minute off an assist from Hannah Lapeire.

Stevenson keeper Hannah Petrich earned her first shutout as she made 2 saves against St. Ignatius (0-3).