MILWAUKEE – The Mount Mary University soccer team defeated visiting Finlandia University 1-0 today at Mount Mary Field. The victory gives the Blue Angels their first ever Great South Athletic Conference win, and gives MMU a record of 2-13 (1-1). The first shutout of the year for the Blue Angels moves the Lions to 1-11 (1-1) record.
This was a classic rivalry battle from the beginning. From the opening whistle the game came down to positioning and longevity. The Lions controlled most of the first half delivering nine shots, four of which were on goal, compared to the Blue Angels one shot on goal. The teams went to half with a 0-0 score.
With Ashley Pfeifer (Fr./Elkhart Lake, Wis.) missing from the lineup for the first 40 minutes, the second half started off with more pressure from the MMU offense. The first two minutes of the half setup a quick shot by Karina Salgado (Fr./Chicago, Ill.) that was saved. Then, moments later, a breakaway goal from Pfeifer started by PangKou Xiong (Fr./Milwaukee, Wis.) which gave the Blue Angels a 1-0 lead that they would protect until the end.
The Blue Angels took four shots, with three on goal in the second half on offense while Becky Onan (So./Grafton, Wis.) finished the day with eight saves and a shutout.
The goal for Pfeifer gives her nine on the season, and she is in third place in the GSAC in goals scored and third in points with 19.
"I was really pleased with our effort and energy today. I though our defense did a great job containing the dribble and limiting many of their shots from distance. We worked hard to secure our first shutout." Head Coach Jon Gulrajani added, "I thought we created good chances today, Karina [Salgado] and Logan [Ormeroid] were very active in the middle and Ashley [Pfeifer] stayed composed and finished well on the great ball from Pang [Xiong]. The group had been progressing all season, it is nice to see us rewarded with a positive result. "
Following today's victory, the Blue Angels will head out on a three game road trip. First stop Rockford (2-13) a team the Blue Angels lost 2-0 last season. MMU will head to Rockford on a two game win streak. That game is scheduled for Wed. Oct. 21 with a 3:30 pm kickoff.
