Bettendorf, Iowa - Jelena Sever scored a pair of second-half goals to break a 1-1 halftime deadlock and lift the Milwaukee women's soccer team to a 3-1 victory over Western Illinois Friday at TBK Sports Complex.
 
The Panthers (5-0-0) kept up the pressure against the Leathernecks (1-4-0), eventually turning a dominant offensive effort into a fifth straight win to open the 2018 season. The victory also gives the squad the new Horizon League record with its now 25-game (21-0-4) unbeaten streak dating back to last season.
 
The match was moved from Macomb, Ill., to the TBK Bank Sports Complex in Bettendorf, Iowa, and was played indoors due to inclement weather.
 
"Today we were really tested on a number of levels," head coach Troy Fabiano said. "As a team, we were challenged on the field by a well-coached and motivated team. Off the field, we were presented with the challenge of dealing with our first road trip and a venue change due to weather."
 
Sever headed in a corner kick from Erin Corrigan inside the left post in the 60^th minute, a carbon-copy of the first goal MKE scored back in the first half.
 
Sever didn't wait long to add to her first collegiate score, netting a second less than nine minutes later with a left-footed shot off a nice pass from distance by Gaby Schwartz.
 
"I thought in the first half we struggled to find our rhythm," Fabiano said. "We responded very well in the second half and were much more dynamic and got back to playing the way we wanted."
 
That made it 3-1 on the scoreboard at the 68:16 mark to close out the scoring. Milwaukee finished out the contest with commanding totals of 23-to-4 in shots, 12-to-2 in shots on target and 5-to-0 in corner kicks.
 
The first half ended 1-1 when WIU found a goal in the 20^th minute after Haley Johnson had given MKE the first strike on a corner kick header at the 18:03 mark.
 
A total of 23 different players saw the field for the Panthers, who were led by five shots from Sever (3 on goal). Johnson and Mackenzie Schill recorded three each.
 
Elaina LaMacchia was called on for one save in the win.
 
Up next, the Panthers wrap up the weekend with a matchup at Iowa State Sunday. Game time against the Cyclones is set for 1 p.m.
 

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