The Lake Forest College women's soccer team continued their undefeated start to the season on Thursday night, overwhelming Benedictine University 8–0 at Mohr Field. The victory improved the Foresters' record to 6–0 and highlighted a milestone night for senior midfielder Izzy DeStefano, who recorded a hat trick and moved into the program's all-time top 10 in both goals and points.
The Foresters wasted no time, scoring twice in the opening five minutes. Senior forward Anna Gracia opened the scoring in the 3rd minute, finishing off a pass from Freshman midfielder Maddie Vasquez. Just two minutes later, DeStefano added her first of the evening to double the lead, then struck again in the 18th minute to make it 3–0.
The attack kept rolling before halftime when Junior midfielder Anna Diebold buried her chance in the 41st minute, sending Lake Forest into the break with a commanding 4–0 advantage.
After halftime, the Foresters continued to apply pressure. Gracia netted her second in the 48th minute, Vasquez added one of her own in the 51st, and Freshman defender Veronica Presberg scored her first collegiate goal just two minutes later off an assist from Sophomore midfielder Annabelle Schroeder. DeStefano then completed her hat trick 36 seconds later, sealing the emphatic 8–0 result.
Lake Forest dominated the stat sheet, outshooting Benedictine 21–13 with a 15–6 edge in shots on goal. Senior goalkeeper Joanna Aslanides made four saves to record the first clean sheet of the season, adding another shutout to her career totals.
For DeStefano, it was a historic performance. Her three goals moved her into a tie for ninth in program history with 33 career goals and into a tie for 10th with 85 career points, cementing her legacy among the top scorers in Forester history.
With contributions from both veteran leaders and first-year standouts, the Foresters showcased their depth, balance, and momentum as they continue their undefeated start to the season.
The Foresters are back in action on Saturday, September 13, at 2:00 p.m. when they travel to face the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
