Women's Soccer | 10/23/2008 2:32:40 PM
Box Score MONMOUTH, Ore. - The Western Oregon University women's soccer team earned its first shutout in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference this season as it blanked Montana State Billings 3-0, Thursday, Oct. 23.
The Wolves improved to 6-7-2 on the season and 2-3-2 in the GNAC with the victory. The lost drops the Yellowjackets to 8-8-0 this season and 3-5-0 in conference. The win also moved Western Oregon within one point of Montana State Billings (9-8) for fourth place in the conference standings.
Western Oregon kept the pressure on Montana State Billings' defense all day as it outshot the Yellowjackets 15-8. Kelsie Blachly anchored the Wolves' defense with seven saves for her first shutout of the season as she played all 90 minutes in net.
Sam Slezak scored the first goal of the day in the 24th minute as she beat the MSUB goalie to the ball on the left side of the penalty box and shot it into the right side of the net for her first goal of the season. Maggie Kuzmer had the assist on the goal as she laid the ball ahead to Slezak and allowed her to outrun the defense for the goal. Western Oregon carried the 1-0 lead into halftime.
Brenna Lander notched the second goal of the day and her third of the season in the 60th minute. Kuzmer once again had the assist as she allowed the Western Oregon student-athlete to beat the Montana State Billings' defenders to the ball. Lander was able to sneak in between the MSUB defender and the goalie, and then met the ball at its highest point as she headed it in for the goal.
Melinda Ingalls scored her ninth goal of the season on a penalty kick in the 70th minute to put Western Oregon in front 3-0. After receiving the pass on the right side in Yellowjackets' territory, Ingalls reversed direction and took the ball back to the middle of the field where a MSUB defender dragged her down in the penalty box. She then took her penalty kick, a low shot to the right of the net to beat the Montana State Billings' goalkeeper. The goal moved Ingalls into a tie for second place in the GNAC in goals scored this season. Ingalls also matched the Western Oregon freshman scoring record with 20 points and moved into a tie for second on the Wolves' list for goals scored in a single-season with nine (Marie Chandler 2001 and 2002).
"We played hard for all 90 minutes today," said head coach Rod Fretz. "There was no let down on our team and we were able to take it at them till the very end. We made it a point of emphasis to score first and sustain the momentum from that goal. I was really pleased when we were able to get that second goal against a quality defensive team it really seemed to deflate them and we carried that momentum throughout the rest of the match."
The Western Oregon women's soccer team will be at home again Saturday, Oct. 25, as it faces Northwest Nazarene (1-14-1) at Noon at the WOU Soccer Field.
"I would like to see us continue to build on the momentum we have created for ourselves today and take it into our match Saturday against NNU," said Fretz. "I felt we took a step forward as a team today."
