CONWAY, Ark. -- The William Woods University women's soccer team picked up its first win of the season behind goals from
Stephanie Kirvan (Sunrise Beach, Mo.) and
Jamie Palermo (Santa Fe, N.M.) and a seven-save performance from
Kelly Abernathy (St. Charles, Mo.) on the afternoon. The Owls prevailed 2-1 over Central Baptist College.
Neither team had much in the way of offense in the opening stanza, as WWU mustered two shots to four for Central Baptist, but the Owls made up for it after halftime.
The Owls opened the scoring in the 51st minute after earning their lone corner kick of the match.
Ashley Deckard (Granite City, Ill.) struck a well-driven ball, finding Kirvan just inside the top of the 18-yard box. The senior nodded the ball into the net just inside the near post.
Brittainy German (St. Peters, Mo.) helped the Owls double the margin in the 62nd minute. A well-placed pass found the foot of fellow sophomore Palermo, who was able to get a clever flick on the ball and tuck it inside the near post.
Central Baptist was able to cut the lead in half in the 77th minute, but Abernathy preserved the win with big saves in the 83rd and 85th minutes.
The Owls move to 1-1 on the season and will be back in action on Monday. WWU heads to Clarksville, Ark., to take on University of the Ozarks. Kickoff for the match is set for noon.
