Gull Lake made good use of probably its last trip to Dowagiac for a soccer game after shutting out the hosts 6-0 Monday with a trio of goals in both halves.

The Blue Devils (9-3-2, 4-2) are leaving the Wolverine Conference and put a fork into the Chiefs’ plans after only four minutes of play as freshman Sydney Nikitas found the net behind junior goal keeper Alyssa Fritz of Dowagiac

Senior defender Melanie Czada scored the other two goals of the first half with tallies the national team would be proud of in a couple months in Cup play.

Dowagiac (8-5, 2-3) could not stop Czada as she controlled a bouncing ball about 40-yards away and she shot a perfectly placed aerial behind an outstretched Fritz in the 18th minute and then 15 minutes later received a high pass near her goal from classmate Rachel Bates next to Fritz, but this time she used her head to dent the net.

“Gull Lake is a good, talented team and we have to play at top form to compete, but we can’t defend their tall girls with headers,” noted Dowagiac coach Mike Williams. “They move the ball real well and it was a domino effect all over with us not staying with our marks.”

It only took two minutes for Gull Lake to capitalize after intermission with sophomore Carley Rice casting a worm burner past Fritz after receiving a pass from freshman Rachel Fouts.

What made matters worse for Dowagiac was having to play a player short after a red card.

In a three-minute span the Blue Devils notched their final goals by junior Kelsey Adamski and senior Jess Crittenden. Rice got an assist after a corner kick on Adamski’s tally with Crittenden’s classmate Kelsey Holdridge helping out on the final goal.

Gull Lake had a dozen shots in each half with Dowagiac getting 10 shots fewer in each half. Fritz made six saves with three in each half to prevent the game from being finished before regulation.

“We played much better in the second half by moving a lot better, which I was happier about — plus we had to play a player down for most of the second half, because of a red card that was warranted,” concluded Williams.

Scoring Summary

First Half

GL – Sydney Nikitas 4th minute

GL – Melanie Czada 18th minute

GL – Czada assist Rachel Bates 33rd minute

Shots: Dowagiac 2, Gull Lake 12

Saves: Alyssa Fritz (D) 3, Maggie Harma (GL) 1

Corner kicks: Dowagiac 0, Gull Lake 4

Second Half

GL – Carley Rice assist Rachel Fouts 42nd minute

GL – Kelsey Adamski asssist Rice 65th minute

GL – Jess Crittenden assist Kelsey Holdridge 68th minute

Shots: Dowagiac 2 (4), Gull Lake 12 (24)

Saves: Fritz 3 (6), Harma 1 (2)

Corner kicks: Dowagiac 1 (1), Gull Lake 1 (5)

Varsity records: Gull Lake 9-3-2, 4-2 Wolverine; Dowagiac 8-5, 2-3 Wolverine