Box Score Sept. 7, 2014 Box Score
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RENO, Nev. - A pair of goals with under 18 minutes remaining in regulation yielded in a 2-1 victory for the Nevada soccer team over visiting Saint Mary's Sunday afternoon at Moana Field. Today's result marks the first program win over the Gaels in five attempts.
"I was really proud of the way the team responded today to come back from being down a goal and to tie the game and win the game. It took a team effort and I'm really proud of that success we had," head coach Dr. Melissa Price said. "We talk a lot about teamwork and that we all have to be putting in the same amount of effort, we all have to be on the same page. Our emphasis at halftime was regrouping tactically, making a few adjustments in order for us to get the goal back. I knew once we got one that the players would really use that momentum to push for a second one."
Saint Mary's (3-3-0) tallied its goal in the 12th minute of play and on the Gaels' first shot attempt of the match. SMC's Vicki Shimkus recorded her second goal of the season on a feed from Jessica Imbrie and Valerie Laforge and guided a shot far post from about 10 yards out. Shimkus' tally gave the Gaels the early advantage.
As the opening half continued on, Saint Mary's displayed offensive pressure in the Nevada (2-3-1) end, securing two corner kicks and three shots in a two-minute span. Despite the quick onslaught of chances for the Gaels, the Wolf Pack outshot its opponent by an 8-6 margin in the first half and forced SMC goalkeeper Julia McDonald to make five saves.
As the second half continued on and time began to become a factor, the Wolf Pack's constant offensive pressure started to pay off. In the 73rd minute of play, senior Madison Lorenzen lined a ball off a corner kick in front of the net to the foot of fellow senior Kellyn Morning. Morning tapped the ball off the side of her foot and into the back of the net to knot the score even at 1-1. For Morning, a defender, the score is the first goal of her collegiate career.
Nevada wasn't done yet and rode that momentum into taking the lead with about five minutes to play. Team-assist leader Daisha Jones-Oglesby fought hard for the ball with a SMC defender and got a clean pass back to freshman Angel Meriwether. From about 20 yards out, Meriwether took a high, bending shot that landed over the outstretched arm of McDonald for the game-winning strike. Meriwether has now scored three of the five Wolf Pack goals in the first six games.
The Gaels had one final opportunity to net the equalizer with the clock stopped with 4.5 seconds remaining. On a free kick, SMC's Jessica Castillo booted a hard shot on goal that forced Nevada goalkeeper Devyn Bryar to make a low diving stop, securing the Pack's second consecutive win, a feat that had not been accomplished since the 2012 season.
Bryar did not see much of a test in the first half, making just one save, but kept the Gaels off the board in the second half with four stops. The Pack posted 10 of its 14 shots on goal in the game, with McDonald making eight saves.
Nevada heads down to Tucson, Ariz. this weekend for a pair of games against Pac-12 opponents, beginning with the University of Arizona this Friday at 7 p.m.
