LATROBE, Pa. (Sept. 19) – The Saint Vincent women's soccer team battled #20 Grove City College to a 0-0 draw in its Presidents' Athletic Conference opener on Saturday evening at UPMC Field.
The Bearcats (4-1-1, 0-0-1 PAC) turned in a strong defensive performance against the nationally-ranked Wolverines, holding Grove City scoreless over the full 90 minutes to earn a point in the conference standings.
The result marked the first time Saint Vincent played to a draw or better against Grove City since the Bearcats defeated the Wolverines, 4-1, during the 2006 season. Saint Vincent had dropped 16 consecutive meetings against Grove City dating back to 2010 before Saturday night's draw.
Grove City (4-0-2, 1-0-1 PAC) applied pressure early, but the Saint Vincent defense held strong. The Wolverines recorded eight shots in the opening half, with just two attempts reaching the Saint Vincent goal.
The Bearcats generated several opportunities of their own over the opening 45 minutes. Reagan Young put Saint Vincent's first shot on goal in the 23rd minute, but Grove City goalkeeper Maddie Mills made the save.
After Rilyn Warner stopped a Kiara White attempt in the 29th minute, Emma Koller produced another strong opportunity for Saint Vincent late in the half. Koller's shot in the 38th minute was turned aside by Mills as the two teams went into halftime scoreless.
Grove City continued to push forward early in the second half. Warner made a save on Emily Horst just over two minutes into the half before later turning away Marina Hahn in the 66th minute to keep the match tied.
Saint Vincent's defense continued to stand tall throughout the remainder of the half. Grove City recorded eight shots over the final 45 minutes, but the Wolverines were unable to break through as the Bearcats secured the scoreless draw.
Grove City finished the evening with a 16-8 advantage in total shots and a 4-2 edge in shots on goal. Saint Vincent held a 7-6 advantage in corner kicks, while each team was whistled for six fouls.
Riley Kerr and Addie Fisher led the Saint Vincent offense with two shots apiece. Koller, Young, Jordan Kirkwood and Sadie Riley each recorded one shot, with Koller and Young accounting for the Bearcats' two shots on goal.
Warner played all 90 minutes in net for Saint Vincent, making three individual saves, while the Bearcats were also credited with a team save. The shutout marked Warner's third of the season and her second consecutive clean sheet after shutting out Saint Francis on Wednesday.
The Bearcats return to action on Tuesday, September 22 when they travel to Baltimore, Maryland to take on Notre Dame of Maryland University. The non-conference matchup is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.
