Women's Soccer | 10/25/2008 2:31:15 PM
Box Score MONMOUTH, Ore. - The Western Oregon University women's soccer team evened its record at 7-7-2 on the season as it shutout Northwest Nazarene 3-0, Saturday, Oct. 25.
The Wolves moved to 3-3-2 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play and earned their 11th point of the season with the win. This was the first time since the opening week of the season that Western Oregon has earned back-to-back wins. The victory also extended its unbeaten streak to three matches. The loss drops NNU to 1-15-1 on the season and 0-9-0 in the GNAC.
Western Oregon outshot Northwest Nazarene 12-7 as seven different Wolves' student-athletes took a shot. Brittney Rigtrup and Kelsie Blachly both played a half as the Wolves earned its second consecutive shutout. Rigtrup played the first half with three saves and Blachly played the second recording two saves.
Maggie Kuzmer scored the first goal of the match on a 30-yard chip shot in the 21st minute. She received a touch-pass on the right side of the field from Kristen Werhane, squared her body to the goal and launched a shot over the NNU goalkeeper into the left-top corner of the net to put the Wolves up 1-0. This was the senior's first goal of the season.
Sam Slezak scored a goal for the second consecutive match as she headed the ball into the net off a corner kick from Werhane in the 29th minute. Slezak was part off the second wave of Western Oregon attackers as she was able to receive the pass on the far side of the net for her second goal of the season.
Werhane would get a goal off her own in the 59th minute to put the Wolves up 3-0 and earn her fourth point of the afternoon. The goal was set up by two great passes from Brenna Lander and Melinda Ingalls. Lander received the ball along the sideline and dribbled it into the corner before laying the ball off to Ingalls cutting through the penalty box. The NNU goalkeeper came up to make a play on ball but Ingalls beat her to it and put the ball right in front t of the net and Werhane knocked it in for her second goal of the season. The assist moved Ingalls into fifth place on the Wolves' single-season scoring list and made her the school's all-time freshman scoring leader.
"We had a really good match today and everyone was able to contribute," said head coach Rod Fretz. "We were maybe not our sharpest after getting an early lead but we still continued to play strong and with energy throughout the match."
The Western Oregon women's soccer team will host its final match of the season next Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 3:00 p.m., as it faces Saint Martin's (5-9-1, 3-5-1 GNAC).
