KOKOMO, Ind. — The IU Kokomo women's soccer team closed out the 2026 regular season in emphatic fashion Thursday evening, celebrating Senior Night with a commanding 7-1 victory over Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.
The Cougars (6-9-2, 4-3-1 RSC) delivered one of their most impressive offensive performances of the season, outshooting the Pomeroys (2-14-1, 0-6-1 RSC) 37-6 while holding a 22-4 advantage in shots on goal. Freshman
Kaitlyn Swartzendruber led the offensive outburst with her third hat trick of the season, adding an assist to bring her season totals to 14 goals and six assists.
Five different Cougars found the back of the net in the victory, as IU Kokomo scored five first-half goals before adding two more early in the second half to put the finishing touches on its regular season finale.
First Half
- IU Kokomo wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, as Hannah Hermansen found the back of the net just 2:59 into the match off an assist from Swartzendruber.
- Saint Mary-of-the-Woods briefly answered with an equalizer from Lauren Gill at the 8:49 mark, but the Cougars responded just over a minute later when Swartzendruber scored at 9:58 to reclaim a 2-1 advantage.
- The Cougars continued to control possession and generate opportunities, firing seven shots over the next eight minutes. Kaiya Money nearly added to the lead at 28:15, but her attempt struck the post.
- Avery Wilson broke through at 29:41 to extend the lead to 3-1 before Swartzendruber netted her second goal of the evening less than three minutes later, giving IU Kokomo a three-goal cushion.
- Grace Jarrells capped the first-half scoring at 42:08, converting an assist from Madison Balf to send the Cougars into the break with a commanding 5-1 advantage.
Second Half
- The Cougars picked up right where they left off, needing just 2:10 to add another goal. Swartzendruber completed her third hat trick of her freshman campaign at 47:10 off an assist from Hermansen, extending the lead to 6-1.
- Addison Waller joined the scoring at 51:56, finding the back of the net for IU Kokomo's seventh and final goal of the evening.
- Saint Mary-of-the-Woods generated a pair of opportunities shortly after, but goalkeeper Liz Godfrey turned away a shot from Mya Kurtz at 57:41 to preserve the six-goal advantage.
- IU Kokomo continued to apply pressure throughout the second half, including a stretch of five shots and two corner kicks between the 62nd and 72nd minutes. Charity Lewis nearly added an eighth goal, but her attempt struck the post.
- The Cougars remained on the attack in the closing minutes, recording four shots and a corner kick over the final six minutes to put the finishing touches on a dominant Senior Night performance.
Top Performers
- Kaitlyn Swartzendruber: Recorded the third hat trick of her freshman season, finishing with three goals and an assist. All six of her shots were on target, and she netted the eventual game-winning goal. Swartzendruber now leads the Cougars with 14 goals and six assists on the season.
- Hannah Hermansen: Contributed a goal and an assist while recording three shots, including two on goal.
- Addison Waller: Scored her second goal of the season and finished with five shots, three of which were on target.
- Avery Wilson: Added a first-half goal and finished with three shots.
- Grace Jarrells: Found the back of the net late in the opening half, finishing with two shots, both on goal.
- Charity Lewis: Recorded a season-high six shots as part of the Cougars' relentless offensive attack.
The victory provided a fitting conclusion to the regular season for IU Kokomo, as the Cougars celebrated their seniors with a convincing performance in front of the home crowd. IU Kokomo now turns its attention to the River States Conference Tournament, awaiting the conclusion of regular season play across the conference before the official tournament bracket is finalized.
For the latest news, updates and information on the IU Kokomo Cougars, fans can visit IUKCougars.com. Fans can also stay up to date on the latest Cougar news by following @IUKAthletics on Facebook, X and Instagram.
