Bulldogs Women's Soccer Blanks Pioneers for First Win of the Season
The University of Redlands women's soccer program earned its first victory of the season with a 2-0 decision over visiting Lewis & Clark College (OR) on Sunday morning at Farquhar Field. The Bulldogs outshot the Pioneers, 26-6, controlling the game from the opening whistle and improving upon their first outing of the year.
After a flurry of first-half opportunities, Redlands finally got on the board in the 38th minute. Off of a nicely placed corner kick by sophomore midfielderDevin Wright (Upland, CA), a scramble ensued in front of the goalmouth. Senior defender Ellie Harrington (Seattle, WA) got a foot on the ball, knocking it toward freshman midfielder Summer Norquist (Boise, ID), who found the back of the net. The goal marks Norquist's first in her young Bulldog career.
It was much of the same for the Bulldogs in the second half, as they created multiple scoring chances. However, Pioneer goalkeeper Geena Fong (Honolulu, HI) kept Lewis & Clark in the game by making numerous saves, totaling 12 on the game.
The Bulldogs doubled their lead in the 65th minute when senior midfielderMeghan King (Portland, OR) received the ball just past the center line, dribbled past a Pioneer defender, and ripped a scorcher into the top-left corner from 25 yards out. With that netter, King becomes the leading goal-scorer for the Maroon and Gray after scoring and assisting in Redlands' first match of the year,
Additionally, freshman midfielder Savannah Laursen (Boise, ID) and senior forward Samantha Rivera (Thousand Oaks, CA) showed off the depth of the Redlands' attack, tallying a combined seven shots.
Between the sticks, senior goalkeeper Linzey Smith (Anaheim Hills, CA) picked up the win while playing the entire first half. While not challenged to make a save, she showed her presence with her feet and voice, helping the team to keep possession out of the back. Junior goalkeeper Sabrina Grandke-Bawab (Kirkland, WA) played a solid second half and recorded one save in 45 minutes of work.
Redlands (1-0-1) travels to Occidental College on Wednesday to take on the Tigers in both teams' first Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) contest of the season. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.
