Wernsing’s Hat Trick Powers Litchfield to 14-0 Conference Rout at Vandalia

VANDALIA, Ill. — Eight different Litchfield players found the back of the net and senior goalkeeper Cooper Martin was never seriously tested as the Purple Panthers overwhelmed Vandalia 14-0 in a conference road match on Thursday, Sept. 24.

Senior forward Landon Wernsing led the way with a hat trick and added two assists for a team-high eight points, while fellow senior Tyler Belusko set the table all afternoon with three assists to go with a goal of his own. Vandalia, which fell to 2-14 on the season, could not find an answer for a Litchfield attack that spread the scoring across every line of the lineup.

Scoring From Everywhere

The most telling number in the box score isn’t the 14 — it’s the eight. Eight Purple Panthers scored, and seven more registered an assist, a sign of a team that kept the ball moving rather than leaning on one finisher.

Behind Wernsing’s three goals, junior Korbin Johnson, freshman Sam Mazza and junior Jaxon Ray each scored twice. Johnson added an assist for five points, matching Belusko’s total. Mazza and freshman Parker Calufetti gave the underclassmen a sizable share of the production, with Calufetti chipping in a goal and an assist for three points.

Seniors Will Wujek and Ryker Witt — the latter a junior — each added a goal, while senior Brody Dykema, sophomore Michael Wujek and senior Chance Holliday all recorded assists. In all, 11 Litchfield players registered at least one point.

A Clean Sheet in Goal

With the Panthers controlling possession and play camped in the attacking third, Martin’s afternoon was a quiet one. The senior keeper posted the shutout, Litchfield’s clean sheet holding up from the opening whistle to the final horn.

Senior Leadership, Freshman Punch

The balance of the scoresheet reflected the shape of Litchfield’s roster. Seniors Wernsing, Belusko, Will Wujek, Dykema and Holliday combined for five goals and six assists, while freshmen Mazza and Calufetti accounted for three goals and an assist between them — a promising sign for a program getting production from both ends of the age range.

Game Summary

Score by Halves

Half-by-half scoring was not available in the MaxPreps data.

Scoring Summary

Scoring play times and sequence were not available. Goal scorers and assists as recorded:

LITCHFIELD GOALS: Landon Wernsing 3; Sam Mazza 2; Korbin Johnson 2; Jaxon Ray 2; Ryker Witt 1; Will Wujek 1; Tyler Belusko 1; Parker Calufetti 1

LITCHFIELD ASSISTS: Tyler Belusko 3; Landon Wernsing 2; Brody Dykema 1; Michael Wujek 1; Parker Calufetti 1; Korbin Johnson 1; Chance Holliday 1

Individual Statistics

SCORING (G-A-PTS): Litchfield — Landon Wernsing (Sr) 3-2–8; Tyler Belusko (Sr) 1-3–5; Korbin Johnson (Jr) 2-1–5; Sam Mazza (Fr) 2-0–4; Jaxon Ray (Jr) 2-0–4; Parker Calufetti (Fr) 1-1–3; Ryker Witt (Jr) 1-0–2; Will Wujek (Sr) 1-0–2; Brody Dykema (Sr) 0-1–1; Michael Wujek (So) 0-1–1; Chance Holliday (Sr) 0-1–1

GOALKEEPING: Litchfield — Cooper Martin (Sr), shutout (1)

TEAM RECORDS: Vandalia 2-14