NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. (Oct. 13) – Bella Meder and Jordan Kirkwood each scored a goal, while the Saint Vincent women's soccer team turned in another strong defensive performance, shutting out Westminster, 2-0, in a Presidents' Athletic Conference matchup on Tuesday evening at the UPMC Sports Complex.
The victory marked the Bearcats' fourth consecutive win, improving their record to 10-2-1 overall and 5-1-1 in PAC play. Saint Vincent has now recorded four straight shutouts, outscoring its opponents 14-0 over that stretch.
Westminster fell to 7-3-3 overall and 2-3-2 in conference play with the loss.
Saint Vincent controlled the offensive attack throughout the opening half, generating several scoring opportunities before Meder broke through in the 33rd minute. Meder found the back of the net for her fourth goal of the season, giving the Bearcats a 1-0 advantage.
The Bearcats continued to apply pressure throughout the remainder of the first half, totaling eight shots while limiting the Titans to just two attempts over the opening 45 minutes. Saint Vincent carried its 1-0 lead into the halftime break.
Saint Vincent continued its strong offensive play in the second half, firing 14 shots over the final 45 minutes while keeping the Westminster offense in check.
The Bearcats eventually added an insurance goal in the 79th minute when Kirkwood found the back of the net for her second goal of the season, extending the Saint Vincent advantage to 2-0.
Saint Vincent's defense took care of the rest, holding the Titans scoreless over the final minutes to secure another important conference victory.
The Bearcats held a commanding 22-5 advantage in shots, including a 6-1 edge in shots on goal. Saint Vincent also recorded all three corner kicks in the contest.
Emma Koller led the Saint Vincent offensive attack with seven shots, including two on goal, while Kirkwood added five shots and a goal. Meder finished with three shots and a goal, while Riley Kerr and Lexi Graham each recorded two shots.
Rilyn Warner played all 90 minutes in goal for Saint Vincent, making one save to record the shutout.
The victory continued an impressive defensive stretch for the Bearcats, who have not allowed a goal in their last four contests. Saint Vincent has now won six of its last seven matches, with its lone loss during that stretch coming against Franciscan.
The Bearcats return to action on Saturday, October 17 with a home PAC matchup against Hiram at UPMC Field. The game is scheduled to begin at 12 noon.
