MARX SPARKS NO. 20 DRAGONS TO SEASON-OPENING TRIUMPH

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

Sophomore Katharina Marx scored a career-high six points Thursday night and provided a needed wake-up call for the 20th-ranked Hutchinson Community College women's soccer team in its 2024 season opener.

With Hutchinson trailing by a goal just 7 minutes into its matchup with Northern Oklahoma College-Enid, Marx scored the game-tying goal and then provided the assist on Kira Artmann's go-ahead goal, leading the Blue Dragons to a 6-1 victory.

Opening their 20th season on Thursday night, the Blue Dragons (1-0) are now 16-4 in season openers and 17-3 in home openers. The Blue Dragons are now 2-0 all-time against NOC-Enid (0-1).

Hutchinson's neutral-site game against Otero College scheduled for Saturday in Liberal as been postponed because of forecasted dangerous heat. The Blue Dragons return to action next Wednesday, opening Jayhawk Conference play vs. Garden City at the Salthawk Sports Complex in a 6 p.m. kickoff.

Marx's career-high six-point game – two goals and two assists – bested her 2023 Blue Dragon debut when she had a five-point effort against Northeastern Junior College. Marx posted her third career two-goal game and her second career multi-assist game.

Sophomore Haley Rogers had a goal and an assist for the Blue Dragons. Making her Blue Dragon debut after missing 2023 with an injury, Rogers made a bit of Blue Dragon history on Thursday. She became only the second Blue Dragon player ever to score directly off her own corner kick attempt. The other came from Blue Dragon Hall of Famer Alicia Robinson, who did so to score the game-winning goal in overtime of the 2010 Region 6 Tournament championship game over Butler.

Kaitlyn Edwards and Anastasia Pokrandt provided the other Blue Dragon goals while Jessica Salkeld tallied an assist to lead the Blue Dragons.

Marx had a goal and two assists in a five-goal first-half for the Blue Dragons that saw five different Hutchinson players connect for goals.

After the Jets took a 1-0 lead just 7:07 into the first half, the Blue Dragons took control of the game from that point, out-shooting NOC-Enid 17-0 over the remainder of the game. For the game, the Blue Dragons out-shot the Jets 36-3 and created 13 corner-kick attempts. Thirteen different Blue Dragons attempted shots in the game.

The Blue Dragons got off to a shaky start. The Jets' early pressure led to a turnover in the Hutchinson defensive end that Enid's Alyssa Harvey turned into an unassisted goal and a 1-0 Jet lead with 37:53 to play in the first half.

That seemed to be the wake-up call the Blue Dragons needed.

Almost immediately after the Jet goal, the Dragons turned the game around. Almost 4 minutes later, Marx tied the game with her first goal coming from a Jessica Salkeld assist with 34:54 to play in the half.

The Blue Dragons took the lead 15 minutes later when Marx made a strong run around the left side of the Enid defense and put a pass right in front of the next for Artmann to hammer home for a 2-1 lead with 18:01 remaining in the first half.

The Dragons made it 3-1 after Marx made another strong run at the right side of the goal and delivered a perfect pass to the left side of the goal that Edwards scored from with 13:46 to play in the half.

Hutchinson's fourth goal came on a free kick where Pokrandt lofted a kick from about 40 yards out and near the sideline over Jet goalkeeper Karen Avalos for a 4-1 lead with 11:16 remaining in the game.

The Dragons made it a five-goal half when Rogers bent in her corner kick attempt, which came from the left corner of the goal into the upper-right corner for a 5-1 lead with 3:36 left in the first half.

Hutchinson's lone goal of the second half came after a pair of Rogers' shot were blocked on Jet defenders, but the ball rolled right to Marx, who blasted a shot from eight feet out for a 6-1 lead with 25:30 to play in the game.

Sophomore goalkeeper Karsyn Slothower was credited with the win – her 13th career victory. She had one save and game up one goal. Freshman Marina Lopez had one save in the second half. NOC-Enid's Avalos had 13 saves in the game.