CEDAR RAPIDS — Breaking the game open with a pair of second-half goals, the Central College women's soccer team won 3-0 at Coe College Wednesday night.
           
The Dutch (8-3-4, 3-2-1 American Rivers Conference) beat the Kohawks (6-7-2, 1-4-1 conference) in Cedar Rapids for the first time since 2016, ending a three-match losing streak at Coe.
           
"We found a way to secure three more points against a good Coe side," coach Mike Kobylinski said.  "It's a very hard surface to play on and it's a small field but we found a way."
           
The Dutch defense posted its ninth shutout of the season. Goalkeeper Zoey Sizemore (freshman, Omaha, Neb., Mercy HS) made four saves.
           
"Zoey made two or three very nice saves in the second half as well," Kobylinski said. "She is really coming into her own."
           
Amber Santana (junior, Indio, Calif., Shadow Hills HS) scored first for Central in the 16th minute. Nicole Sinclair (sophomore, Arvada, Colo., Jefferson Academy) and Grace Coates (junior, Marion) added tallies in the 70th and 79th minutes, respectively.
           
"Amber's finish was sublime off the post and in," Kobylinski said." Nicole made a screaming run forward and hit it off the post into the side netting. Grace capped it off with a breakway and curled it into the side netting."
           
Coates was credited with an assist on Santana's goal. Piper Eighmy (freshman, Birmingham, Ala., Briarwood Christian HS) assisted on the last goal for Coates.
           
The victory clinches the Dutch a spot in the league's postseason tournament as one of the top-six teams in the conference. Seeding is up for grabs and Central has the chance to play a home game and possibly even earn a bye in the opening week, pending the results of its final two matches. The first is a road game at Nebraska Wesleyan University Saturday at 1 p.m.
           
"We have positioned ourselves nicely," Kobylinski said. "We know there is more to shoot for in these in the last two matches."