WAUKESHA, Wis. - Rachel Van Sluys' heads-up, split-second reaction made the difference.
Van Sluys, a 5-foot-10 sophomore forward from Sheboygan, Wis., scored on a header off an assist from sophomore defender Gina LaMacchia (Mequon, Wis.) in the 19th minute as the Carroll University women's soccer team defeated Augustana College 2-0 in a physical College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin game at Schneider Stadium on Saturday evening.
It was the second consecutive conference victory and seventh shutout of the season for Carroll, which improved to 2-1-1 in the league standings and 10-3-1 overall.
The Pioneers, who extended their home-field winning streak to seven games, have won three straight and five of the last six.
On what proved to be the game-winning play at the 19:03 mark, LaMacchia served a high-curving, 40-yard free kick from the right side toward the middle of the box.
Van Sluys, who had gained position inside just left of the goal, made an aggressive cut, perfectly timed her leap and headed the ball into the back of the net.
"Gina served up a great ball so it was nice to be able to make the most of the situation and put it away," said Van Sluys, of the game-winner. "Lately, we've really tried to enforce the fact that we want to score in the first 15 minutes. To be able to get a goal a few minutes later to take the lead was an emotional turning point and gave us a lot of drive the rest of the way."
Van Sluys, a first-team all-conference selection in the MWC last year who recently returned to the lineup after missing significant time with an injury, has contributed three goals on the season.
"Being in the CCIW, we realize that every game is going to be a difficult battle so it was great to be able to step up to the challenge, play up to our potential and get victories in the last two games," Van Sluys said. "We're a young team that is really building off of each experience and gradually gaining confidence. This should only help in our progression as we prepare for the rest of the season."
LaMacchia was quick to point out the team's consistent emphasis on taking advantage of the free-kick situations.
"We really attempt to score on free kicks whenever possible so it was great to see everything work out at that point in the game," LaMacchia said. "I knew the general direction it was going in and had a feeling Rachel would be able to finish if the timing was right. Our forwards always do a great job of flying to the ball and putting themselves in a good position to convert the goal. That's exactly what happened on the play and it really pumped us up. It was a key turning point that gave us a lot of momentum for the rest of the game.
"Being able to get a big victory and stay undefeated at home is huge and should give us a lot of confidence. To be able to ring the victory bell again was special. Now we just want to keep it going."
Sophomore forward/midfielder Delaney Pruitt (Ringwood, Ill.) contributed her team-leading 11th goal of the season on an unassisted 18-yard shot in the 75th minute to ensure a victory for the Pioneers, who were outshot 11-10 but maintained a key 8-4 shot-on-goal advantage.
Freshman goalkeeper Christina O' Block (Libertyville, Ill.) was a stabilizing force throughout the course of the evening, finishing with four critical saves to preserve a shutout.
Carroll head coach Susie Foster was excited about her team's ability to focus, maintain its intensity and respond with a second straight conference victory.
"It was an extremely special victory against a phenomenal Augustana team that had been nationally ranked earlier this season," said Foster, who guided her squad to an NCAA Division III Tournament berth last year. "Every day in the CCIW is a battle and we have really risen to the occasion with each competition. Throughout the season, we have continued to learn both mentally and physically what it takes to get the job done. That combination is ultimately what has contributed to our success. 
"With the caliber of teams in the league, we've been really challenging the players to not only weather the storm on a given night when a strong team aggressively pushes the ball but then to recognize when to go on the attack, capitalize on the opportunities and seize the momentum. Tonight, each player on the team showed a lot of leadership in the way they assumed their specific roles and worked hard on every possession. 
"Every conference win is so valuable so to be able to get one and remain undefeated at home only added to the moment. I was just very proud of how we competed with heart and class the entire way."
Junior goalkeeper Bailey Bradford had six saves for Augustana, which dropped to 1-3 in conference and 7-6 overall.