REDLANDS, Calif. - The University of Redlands Women's Soccer team picked up a crucial Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) victory Wednesday night shutting out the University of La Verne 3-0.
Graduate Student Charlie Baum (Hesperia, CA) tallied a pair of goals to lead the Maroon and Grey, both coming on free kicks as Redlands improves to .500 at 5-5, 5-2 SCIAC. They still sit 2nd within the conference standings keeping pace with Pomona-Pitzer who is a point up.
La Verne got off to a quick start providing some pressure with four shots and a corner kick in the opening five minutes before Skylar Pogue (Simi Valley, CA) got the first attempt of the game for the Bulldogs.
Senior goalkeeper Courtney Stewart (San Jose, CA) who anchored the backline made a pair of saves in the 12th and 16th minutes that kept the game scoreless. In the 20th Pogue got her second shot of the half, this time it was a look that tested the Leopard keeper, but it was knocked down.
The Bulldogs got their breakthrough goal in the 23rd minute following a foul that awarded them a free kick about ten yards inside the midfield line. Baum took the ensuing free kick and drove it into the box, but instead of connecting with a Bulldog it would take a bounce in front of the ULV keeper who misread it allowing it to go over her head and into the goal. This was the first collegiate goal for Baum.
In the 41st minute La Verne got off three shots within nine seconds of each other, two were blocked and another one stopped by Stewart as the game remained a one-goal contest at the half.
Twenty-eight seconds into the second half the Bulldogs saw some luck bounce their way. Sami Salinas (Foothill Ranch, CA) made her way down the left flank and sent in a beautiful cross through the box that snuck past the ULV keeper towards a waiting Bulldog for a tap in. But a Leo defender was tracking as well and intercepted the ball. Her attempt at a clear though would prove costly, as her deflection would hit off the crossbar and then into the goal for an own-goal, moving the score to 2-0.
Salinas and Celine Akroush (Pasadena, CA) picked up another two shots in the 50th minute, which were both blocked by a defender. First-Year Hannah Rice (Portland, OR) took a pair of shots as well, both going wide left, in the 55th minute.
After some slow play, the Bulldogs earned another free kick in the 71st minute following a hard tackle by the Leos that drew a yellow card. Baum took the ensuing kick from 30-yards out and went for the goal, curving one upper-90 past a diving keeper.
The final two shots on-target came from a header by Tori Zielinski (Sunnyvale, CA) in the 75th minute and Salinas in the 82nd minute.
Both teams had plenty of opportunities with a total of 35 shots occurring, seven combined corners, and eleven fouls.
Stewart again played the full 90 and made six saves for her fifth win of the season. Salinas led the way with four shots, one on-target. Akroush took three shots and Baum had the big day with her first two career goals, as she posted a perfect shooting percentage of 1.000, converting on both of her shots.
The Bulldogs will play a non-conference game at UC Santa Cruz this Saturday, October 8 with kickoff set for 12:00pm.