LATROBE, Pa. (Sept. 5)- The Saint Vincent women's soccer team picked up their first win of the season, shutting out Muskingum 3-0 in their home opener on Saturday night at UPMC Field.
The Bearcats (1-1) scored one goal in the first half and added two more in the second half to cruise to the non-conference victory over the Muskies (0-2).
Riley Kerr, Lexi Graham and Addie Fisher all scored goals for Saint Vincent in the win, while Jordan Kirkwood picked up an assist. Rilyn Warner earned the shutout victory in net for the Bearcats, making one save. Saint Vincent controlled play from the opening whistle, recording the first four shots of the game before breaking through in the 16th minute. Kerr found the back of the net for her first goal of the season to give the Bearcats an early 1-0 lead.
The SVC defense limited Muskingum to just two shots in the opening 45 minutes, while the Bearcats totaled nine shots and four corner kicks. Kerr's goal remained the difference heading into the halftime break. Saint Vincent wasted little time adding to its lead in the second half. Just over three minutes into the half, Graham converted a penalty kick to increase the Bearcats' advantage to 2-0.
The Bearcats continued to control possession throughout the second half before adding their third and final goal in the 70th minute. Kirkwood found Fisher, who scored her first goal of the season to give Saint Vincent a 3-0 lead. Saint Vincent's defense shut down the Muskies over the final 45 minutes, holding Muskingum without a shot in the second half to secure the shutout victory.
The Bearcats outshot Muskingum 23-2 over the course of the game, including an 11-1 advantage in shots on goal. Saint Vincent also held an 8-0 advantage in corner kicks. Emma Koller led the Bearcats with five shots, three of which were on goal. Warner played all 90 minutes in net to earn her first shutout victory of the season.
Saint Vincent returns to action on Wednesday, September 9, hosting Mount Aloysius in another non-conference matchup. The game is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. at UPMC Field.
