Merle Bublitz was the Mustangs’ leading scorer in the 2017 women’s soccer season.

Merle Bublitz

Merle Bublitz, a junior forward from Burgwedel, Germany, was Morningside’s leading scorer during the 2017 women’s soccer season.

Bublitz had team-high totals of 12 goals and eight assists for 32 points. The 12 goals and 32 points were career highs for Bublitz, who moved into ninth place on Morningside’s all-time career scoring charts with 22 goals, 18 assists and 62 points.

Bublitz tallied the game winning goal in two of the Mustangs’ eight victories this season to move into ninth place in the Morningside record book with five career game winning goals.

Chloe Wetzbarger, a junior midfielder from Sioux City, and Alexandra Homan, a freshman midfielder-goalkeeper from Omaha, Neb., also had two game winning goals to share the team leadership with Bublitz.

Wetzbarger, who ranks fifth in Morningside history with five career game winning goals, was the Mustangs’ second leading scorer with eight goals and one assist for 17 points.

Homan was the Mustangs’ fourth leading scorer with five goals and one assist for 11 points. She had a 1-0 record with eight saves and a goals against average of 1.20 goals per game in four appearances at goalkeeper.

Niccole McGuire

Paytn Harmon, a freshman defender from Piedmont, S.D., and Oceanna Brenden, a freshman midfielder from Rapid City, S.D., also compiled double figure point totals. Harmon was the Mustangs’ highest scoring newcomer with five goals and three assists for 13 points, while Brenden scored two goals and dealt six assists for 10 points.

Niccole McGuire, a senior from Rapid City, S.D., was the goalkeeper of record in 16 of the Mustangs’ 18 contests. McGuire posted a 6-10 record with 75 saves, one shutout and a goals against average of 1.89 goals per game.

McGuire ranks second in Morningside history with 327 career saves, 31 career goalkeeper victories, and a career goals against average of 1.62 goals per game and is third in the Mustangs’ record book with 10 career shutouts.

Morningside posted an 8-10 record during the 2017 season and finished eighth in the Great Plains Athletic Conference standings with a 4-6 league record.