MEADVILLE, Pa. - The Allegheny women's soccer team was defeated 2-0 by Grove City in the Gators' 2016 home opener at a sun-splashed Robertson Athletic Complex.

While the Gators (0-3-1) held a 19-12 advantage in shots and a 6-3 edge in corner kicks, the Wolverines (4-0-1) used goals in the 37th and 71st minutes to continue their unbeaten start to the season.

For the duration of the first half, play was wide open, with back-and-forth action throughout.  Allegheny keeper Colleen Fleming gobbled up the game's first shot, in the fourth minute, before the Gators took over possession.  The hosts tallied three shots and two corner kicks between the ninth and 11th minutes, but would come up empty, before momentum ebbed the way of the Wolverines, who forced Fleming to make a pair of saves in a 90-second span to keep the match scoreless.

In the 25th minute, Grove City saw its first dangerous chance of the game, but Fleming made a save on a header attempt off of a corner kick.  The Gators answered with some offensive pressure of their own, forcing Wolverines' keeper Trishae Winters to make a pair of stops in the 30th minute.  After several minutes of back-and-forth action, the Wolverines broke the scoreless tie with 7:09 left in the opening stanza.  Megan Van Kirk sent a long ball from midfield toward the goal, eliciting a foot race between Fleming and the Wolverines' Lindsey Reichert.  Reichert won the race, and chipped the ball high over into the net to make it 1-0.

The Gators looked to counter, as Isabella Martinez received a quality chance three minutes later, but it was saved by Winters.  The Gators kept the ball in the Grove City end for most of the duration of the half, gaining one corner kick, but were unable to find the equalizer to head into the break trailing by one.

Over the opening 45 minutes, Grove City held a slim 8-7 advantage in shots, while Allegheny had three corner kicks to the Wolverines' one.  Fleming made five first half saves, and Winters four.

Allegheny upped its offensive pressure to open the second half, and it nearly paid off 14 minutes in.  A shot from Taylor Rank from up close was saved by Winters, who was unable to corral it.  The Gators' Jessie Thiessen then had a crack, but it went just wide.  The Gators kept possession, receiving a pair of corners in the next two minutes, but again a rebound attempt from in close sailed wide of the mark with 28 minutes left.  

The Gators continued to control possession, and after a Grove City foul, were granted a free kick from 20 yards out.  The initial header off of the set piece was blocked in front, but went right to Adele Gilman, who sent a blast in from three yards out.  However, a Grove City defender made a desperate lunge to knock it away from the gaping net, and preserve her squad's 1-0 lead with just over 26 minutes to go.  Allegheny was granted yet another corner two minutes later, but again the deflection in front went wide.

After quelling the lengthy Gator rally, the Wolverines were able to double their lead with 19 minutes remaining, when Van Kirk lofted a perfectly-placed shot from 20 yards out just under the crossbar to make it 2-0.

The visitors then controlled possession in the middle third of the field for the next several minutes, before Allegheny put together one last comeback attempt.  With 3:25 remaining, Taylor Renk's shot from in close was blocked over the end line, resulting in the Gators' third corner of the half.  Redner's lofted it high into the box, but Allegheny's header attempt went wide, allowing the Wolverines to dodge a final bullet and seal the win.

Seven different players combined for Allegheny's 19 shots on the day, led by seven from Thiessen, five from Renk, and three from Kayla Dantona.

Fleming ended the afternoon with eight saves, and now has 25 over her past three games.  Winters earned the shutout for Grove City, finishing with five saves.

The Gators will return to the road for their next action, traveling to Pitt-Bradford for a 1 p.m. tilt on Sunday.