Senior Nina Perkkio scored a pair of goals in her final career home game and the Forester women's soccer team defeated visiting Ripon College 2-1 on Sunday to clinch a spot in next weekend's four-team Midwest Conference Tournament.
Perkkio, who missed the team's first 13 games of the season due to injury, scored for the first time this year at the 18:51 mark of the opening period. Perkkio, was fouled in front of the goal after receiving a well-placed pass from sophomore Susie Baca, gave the home team the lead on her penalty kick into the lower left side of the goal.
The Foresters doubled their lead and Perkkio doubled her season goal total less than two-and-a-half minutes later. Baca got control of the ball in the box and tapped it back to Perkkio, who blasted it off the outstretched hands of the diving goalie and into the net.
Ripon took advantage of a miscommunication by the Forester defense and scored what turned out to be the game;s final goal at 42:02.
The Foresters out-shot the Red Hawks 8-4 in the first half and 13-4 while controlling the ball for most of the final 45 minutes.
After scoring late in the first half, Ripon was unable to put another shot on goal in the contest.
Lake Forest senior goalkeeper Rachel Tenuta earned the victory and raised her program record career victory total to 46.
Both teams entered the contest 5-2-1 in league play. The Foresters improved to 10-7-1 overall while Ripon fell to 14-3-1.
Knox College will host next weekend's MWC Tournament. Lake Forest will take on Grinnell College in Friday's 11:00 a.m. semifinal and Knox will face St. Norbert College that afternoon. The winners will advance to Saturday's tournament final, which will determine the recipient of the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.