PORTSMOUTH – Showing its offensive potential once again Wednesday afternoon, women's soccer scored a season-high six goals and shutout Pikeville on the defensive end to earn its first MSC win of 2012. The Bears (4-7, 1-3 MSC) used goals from five different players (Brittney Brooks (2), Molly King, Schuyler Jones, Bethany Ward and Jessica Fair), while holding Pikeville (3-5, 0-4 MSC) off the scoreboard.
The Bears first goal came just over a minute into the game as Brooks finished with a header inside the box off a cross from Aubrey Johnson to put SSU up 1-0. SSU would then take a quick 2-0 lead in the 11th minute when Schuyler Jones banged home a corner kick from Tasha Wilson. All three of Jones' goals have now come in the last three games. For Wilson, it was her first collegiate assist.
Shawnee State's offense would continue to generate chances and take a total of 10 shots in the opening 45 minutes. Pikeville's goalie would be called on to make five saves to send the game to the half at 2-0. In SSU's defensive end of the field, Emily Kuehn faced four shots in the opening half and stopped each of the three shots that were on goal.
The Bears were again relentless from the opening whistle to start the second half when King would tally her fourth career goal to give the Bears a 3-0 lead. In the 69th minute, Brooks found the back of the net off a loose ball in front of the net and knocked home her team-leading six goal of the season. Today marked her first multi-goal game of 2012. She now has 39 career goals at Shawnee State.
In the 82nd minute, Fair would become the second freshman to score a goal in the game. Her tally was also unassisted and was the fourth of her rookie campaign. Ward would complete the day's work with her first goal of the season in the 86th minute.
In total, 12 different SSU players would spread around the team's 18 shots that the offense generated on Wednesday afternoon. No player finished with more than three – the totals of Brooks and Fair. Twelve of the Bears' shots were on target. In goal, Kuehn played 77-plus minutes and stopped all five of her shots that she face. Shelbi Halverson would play the remainder of the game and did not face any action as the SSU defense would tally its second shutout of the season, both of which have come in the last three games.
The Bears will now be off until next Tuesday when they wrap up the three-game home stand against Rio Grande on October 9 at 2 p.m. That game will be followed by the men at 4 p.m.
