By MATT SCHUCKMAN

Herald-Whig Sports Writer

Using history as a guide, there's more in store for the Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team.

Possibly more titles.

A pair of victories Saturday allowed the Lady Raiders to finish first in their pool at the QND/Advance Physical Therapy Tournament.

Couple that with the championship at the Quincy High School Tournament and it marks the fourth time since 1998 QND has won both crowns.

The three previous times, it's been a good omen. QND won regional championships each year -- 1998, 2000 and 2005 -- and captured sectional titles twice.

"We're going to keep it up," senior sweeper Genevieve Niemann said. "We know we can do it."

It helps knowing the regional will be played in Quincy.

"We're going for it," sophomore midfielder Alex Reis said. "We want to win it."

That attitude led to good results this weekend.

Senior forward Erin Thomas scored a hat trick in Saturday morning's 5-0 victory over Bloomington Central Catholic, while junior midfielder Lauren Stuckman had two goals in a 4-2 victory over defending champion Morton to give QND its first title since 2005.

"We wanted to come back this year and kick some butt," Reis said.

The Lady Raiders (14-2-2) have won six of the last nine tournament titles.

"We came out and worked hard and knew we had to do our jobs to represent Quincy," Stuckman said.

QND's playmakers represented the Gem City well.

Against BCC, Thomas scored three times in the first 25 minutes as QND led 4-0 at half. She converted a Janell Vermeire assist at the 8-minute mark and followed with goals set up by Reis at the 15- and 25-minute marks.

"Since we had a little team bonding and got everything out of our system, that really helped a lot," said Reis, who also had an assist against Morton. "Passing-wise, we're doing great. Talking-wise, we're talking very well."

Jennifer Adam and Mercedee Esterlein also scored for QND.

In the second game, Thomas and Adam hooked up for the fourth time in the tournament. This time, Adam settled a misplayed restart by Morton and tapped a pass to Thomas, who curled around a defender and beat the keeper with a low liner at the 14-minute mark.

Approximately 10 minutes later, QND's Katie Holm beat three defenders to the right corner and crossed a picture-perfect ball to Stuckman, who one-timed a shot into the far side of the net for a 2-0 edge.

"We really had it together offensively," Niemann said. "To keep pressuring, that was the main thing."

Morton cut the lead in half on Holly Bennett's goal with 14 minutes left in the first half, but Reis found Esterlein cutting to the net for her second goal of the day midway through the second half. Although the Potters would again cut the deficit to one, this time on a penalty kick, Stuckman pushed the lead back to two when she headed in an Alicia Bower corner kick.

"To score four goals and have plenty of other opportunities, I'm pleased with that," QND coach Mark Longo said. "What did we get, 12 goals this weekend? That's a pretty good weekend."

And a good omen for what's to come.

"I surely hope so," Longo said. "We know it won't be easy. We'll get through our next two games, and then we'll worry about that."

-- mschuckman@whig.com/221-3366