Box Score TACOMA, Wash.—The University of Puget Sound women's soccer team scored three first half goals, cruising to a 3-0 victory over Willamette and their eighth consecutive win Saturday on East Field on the Puget Sound campus.
The Loggers took two shots before breaking through on the score sheet, with attempts from Jordyn McLuen and Annie Jonsson going wide. Amalia Acorda-Fey found the target, however, and blasted a shot from 17 yards out into the far post for her fourth in the year, temporarily taking the team lead in goals scored.
That lead was temporary as 12 minutes later, Kylie Beeson also netted her fourth of the year, heading a cross from Robin Vieira into the center of the net at 22:02. All of Beeson's goals on the year have come in the last four games since netting her first on Oct. 13 at home against Pacific.
The Loggers got their third goal when a loose ball in front of the Willamette net bounced off a Bearcat and into the net for an own goal in the 30th minute.
Despite the own goal, the Bearcats had decent chances in front of the Puget Sound net all throughout the first half. They forced Puget Sound keeper Casey Thayer to make three saves in the period, including two in six minutes near the end of the half. Overall, the Loggers took eight shots in the opening half while Willamette managed four. Thayer made three saves on all three Bearcat shots on goal, and Bearcat goalie Emily Sewall made one save in the first.
In the second half, both offense took awhile to get going. After a shot by Jonsson in the 50th minute, which Sewall saved, neither team managed a shot until 61:06, another Jonsson shot which went wide. Haley Rosenberg fired a shot on frame in the 64th minute, but again Sewall made the stop and kept Willamette within three.
The Bearcats tallied three shots in the second half, a shot high by Paige Lancourt and two shots wide by Jill Phillips and Sarah Desautels. The Loggers also took three shots in the period, the two by Jonnsson and one by Rosenberg.
The second half was much rougher than the first, however, as 16 fouls were called in the final 45 minutes. Willamette was whistled for 10 of them while Puget Sound was called for six fouls. Over the entire match, the Bearcats fouled Loggers players 14 times and the Loggers did the same seven.
"Our games against Willamette are always tough games," said Puget Sound head coach Randy Hanson. "To get three first half goals is great. Our two goals were real high quality goals and to put pressure on them to cause an own goal you have to do some things right on your side as well. It wasn't our intention to defend in the second half, but give credit to Willamette to be able to keep the ball, posses the ball, and make us defend."
With the shut out, the Loggers have now kept their oppoents off the scoreboard in 10 matches. They also haven't allowed a goal in their last five contests and 455 minutes of game action.
Puget Sound (10-2-2, 8-1-2 NWC) is back on the pitch Sunday, Oct. 27, when they host George Fox. That match will kick off at 12:00 p.m., again on East Field.
