RIPON, Wis. – It may have been a matchup against a foe with just one loss in its 15 games this season, but that didn't faze the Grinnell College women's soccer team in the slightest.
 
The Pioneers jumped out to a 3-1 halftime lead on its way to a 3-2 Midwest Conference victory over Ripon College Saturday afternoon.
 
The win, Grinnell's fourth in a row and third straight against a league opponent, pushed the Pioneers into favorable position to qualify for the MWC Tournament. Grinnell is now 5-2-1 in the MWC and 8-6-2 overall, while Ripon fell to 4-2-1 in the conference and 13-2-1 in all games.
 
The four-game winning streak is the longest for the Pioneers since the 2011 season.
 
Carolyn Silverman '17 stepped up huge for the Pioneers, scoring a pair of goals to push her season total to eight.
 
Silverman also recorded her first assist on the season on a goal by Valencia Alvarez '20 in the 19th minute. Alvarez scored in the lower left portion of the goal for her second score of the season.
 
Ripon tied the game a minute later, but the Pioneers went ahead to stay on Silverman's goal in the 23rd minute. Just nine minutes later, Silverman scored on a breakaway to put the Pioneers up 3-1. The goal was assisted by Shaina Zarkin-Scott '18, her first of the year.
 
Regan Kasprak '19 played keeper for Grinnell and made two saves.
 
The Pioneers won the shots battle 19-4, with Silverman taking seven shots including three on goal. Alvarez added six shots, with two of those on goal, and Lauren Hurley '18 had three shots.
 
Grinnell closes out its regular season next Saturday at Monmouth College. Kickoff is at 2:30 p.m.