Western Colorado soccer earned its second consecutive win with Saturday's 3-0 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference shutout of host N.M. Highlands University, a win that slides the Mountaineers up the conference standings into a tie for sixth place.
Western is now 4-5-1 overall and 2-3-1 in RMAC play. NMHU is 0-9-1.
The Mountaineers first had to fend off a dangerous opportunity by the Cowgirls, as less than two minutes into the game, Western goalkeeper Ashlyn Fitzpatrick had to leap high to tap a close-in shot over the crossbar that prevented an early deficit.
The field shifted downhill after that for the Mountaineers as they soon after put two shots on goal that Highlands keeper Peyton Greener had to save, bookended by a pair of shots that were just wide of the frame.
It was the fifth shot in a row that found its mark as Natsuki Murakami drove deep into the box to the right of the goal and centered a cross to Jordan Welsh, who pasted a shot low and off the left post for a Mountaineer goal in the 18th minute.
Western's next shot in the game doubled the advantage over the Cowgirls as the Mountaineers turned a fast transition from its defending third into the second goal of the game.
Ingrid Sorensen forced a turnover in her end and quickly sent the ball up the left touch line for Ava Odil. Odil continued the direction up the line, pushing a pass corralled by Adah Minikel-Lacocque in a positive position in the attacking third.
Minikel-Lacocque worked past a defender as she moved toward center and from the top corner of the box lasered a shot inside the right post that Greener wasn't able to get a glove on, lifting Western in front, 2-0, in the 30th.
The Mountaineers continued to pepper Greener in early second-half action, the goalie coming up with four consecutive saves, until finally in the 82nd minute the Greener wall broke.
Reilly Schindler dished a pass from midfield that Alyse Kavanaugh chased down to the left and high of the box. Kavanaugh worked past one defender and took a hard, low shot toward the back post. Greener was there but the ball skipped just in front of her then under her outstretched arms to slide inside the right post for the final goal of the game.
The Mountaineers dominated possession throughout the game, forging a 21-7 gap in total shots, a 16-3 advantage in shots on goal, and a 12-4 gap in corner kick opportunities.
Fitzpatrick earned the win with three saves, while Greener had to take the loss despite coming up with 13 saves.
Welsh's goal gave her 10 career goals, tying Western's career goals mark.
Up next
The Mountaineers host Colorado School of Mines on Sunday, Oct. 11, for Western's Pink Out game during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
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