MEADVILLE, Pa. - The Allegheny women's soccer team snapped its two-game losing skid with a convincing 2-0 shutout win over visiting Oberlin at the Robertson Athletic Complex.
The Gators (9-5, 2-1 NCAC) out-shot the Yeowomen (9-4, 2-1 NCAC) 15-4 on the afternoon, and snapped a nine-game Oberlin winning streak.
Allegheny took control from the outset, owning time of possession throughout the first half. The Gators owned a 5-0 advantage in shots, and 3-0 margin in corner kicks, over the opening 15 minutes of the first half, but Yeowomen goalkeeper Kate Frost made four saves over the span, including a dandy on a set piece by
Lauren Miller, to keep the game scoreless.
In the 20th minute, Oberlin looked to mount its first attack, but was whistled for offsides. Following the free kick, the Gators'
Jaymee Wallace found
Jessie Thiessen with a pass near midfield. Thiessen breezed by one defender on the sideline and made a run toward the middle of the box, where she stopped, dodged a second defender, and launched a left-footed blast from 10 yards out past Frost to give the Gators the 1-0 advantage just shy of the halfway point of the first half.
For the final 15 minutes of the half, the Gators continued to maintain possession, but the pace would slow from the frenetic opening 20 minutes, with the bulk of the action taking place in the middle of the field. Allegheny managed two more shots and a corner over the final stretch of the first half, but were unable to add an insurance marker, and entered halftime holding on to the one-goal lead.
Over the first 45 minutes of play, the Gators out-shot the Yeowomen 8-0, while also taking all three corner kicks of the opening stanza. However, Frost kept the visitors in the game, as she tallied five first half saves.
The Gators looked to seize the momentum to open up the second half, and had a pair of scoring chances early on, highlighted by a blast by
Liana Leja from 15 yards out that blasted off the crossbar in the 50th minute. The tide would begin to turn the way of the Yeowomen, as they would embark on a lengthy possession deep in Gator territory over the next several moments that resulted in two shots and two corner kicks, but no goals.
With just over 10 minutes remaining in regulation, the Yeowomen had a prime opportunity to tie it up. Elyse Douglas sent a high, arching corner kick through the wind and right onto the doorstep. The Gator defense was able to produce a pair of deflections to keep the ball from reaching paydirt, and then blocked a header attempt from right in front.
Moments later, the Gators countered. After a corner kick by
Brianna Layman was knocked out of danger, the ball found its way to Thiessen, who again made a 20-yard run up the sideline and toward the goal. This time, she planted at the corner of the box and sent a cross toward the net, where it met the foot of a sliding
Tori Delzer, who deflected it into the net for her second goal in as many games to give Allegheny some much-needed insurance with 7:37 left to play.
The Yeowomen were unable to counter, as the Gators held on to the ball for the final four minutes of play to seal the victory.
Allegheny ended the day with a 15-4 advantage in shots. Frost was strong in goal for the visitors, as she finished with eight saves, while Gator keeper
Gabby Curtis was not forced to make a save in recording the shutout.
The Gators will close out their three-game homestand with a Homecoming contest this Saturday at 12 p.m. against NCAC foe Ohio Wesleyan at the Robertson Athletic Complex. As they did in the Oberlin match, the Gators urge all fans to wear pink in support of the battle against breast cancer. The squad will be selling pink shirts and bracelets, with all proceeds going toward the fight.
