LORETTO, Pa. (Sept. 16)- The Saint Vincent women's soccer team scored three goals in a span of just over three minutes late in the second half to defeat Saint Francis University, 3-0, on Wednesday afternoon at the Stokes Soccerplex.
The Bearcats (4-1) picked up their fourth consecutive victory behind goals from Riley Kerr, Bella Meder and Emma Koller. Koller and Lexi Graham each added an assist in the win, while Rilyn Warner recorded six saves in goal to earn the shutout for Saint Vincent.
After a scoreless opening half, Saint Vincent continued to create scoring opportunities throughout the second half. The Bearcats recorded 11 shots over the final 45 minutes, but the game remained scoreless into the final eight minutes.
Saint Vincent finally broke through in the 83rd minute. Kerr found the back of the net for her third goal of the season to give the Bearcats a 1-0 lead with 7:24 remaining.
Just 1:21 later, the Bearcats doubled their advantage. Koller found Meder, who scored her second goal of the season in the 84th minute to increase the Saint Vincent lead to 2-0.
The Bearcats weren't finished, as Koller capped off the late scoring surge less than two minutes later. Graham found Koller for her sixth goal of the season in the 86th minute, giving Saint Vincent a 3-0 advantage.
The Saint Vincent defense held Saint Francis scoreless over the remainder of the match to secure the shutout victory.
The Bearcats controlled the offensive attack for much of the afternoon, outshooting Saint Francis 17-7, including a 13-6 advantage in shots on goal. Saint Vincent also held a 5-3 advantage in corner kicks.
Koller led the Saint Vincent offense with seven shots, all seven of which were on goal. Kerr recorded three shots, including two on goal, while Meder totaled two shots with both attempts on target. Addie Fisher and Jordan Kirkwood also recorded two shots apiece.
Warner played all 90 minutes in net for the Bearcats, making six saves to record her second shutout of the season. Saint Francis goalkeeper Alyssa Walker made 10 saves in the loss.
The Bearcats return to action on Saturday, September 19 when they open Presidents' Athletic Conference play at home against #20 Grove City College. The match is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at UPMC Field.
