Box Score

SAN DIEGO - History was made today at the PLNU soccer field, but the job is not done yet. The Point Loma women's soccer team shutout Notre Dame de Namur, 3-0, on Thursday, Oct. 30, to become the first team in Pacific West Conference history to start league play with 10 straight wins.
 
With the victory just two matches remain in the PacWest season for the Sea Lions who now stare the opportunity for the school's first-ever Pacific West Conference Championship in the face. Point Loma (11-2-0, 10-0-0 PacWest) leads the PacWest Conference by four points over California Baptist and can lock up the conference champion and the league's automatic bid to the NCAA West Regional with a win on Saturday against Holy Names (1:30 p.m.).
 
"That game was massive for us today," explained PLNU head coach Tim Hall. "Each game as you get later in the year and are still in the hunt is much more pivotal. Today's match was pivotal for us because it set us up for Saturday. I am very proud of these women to get to the point where they can play for a conference championship. "
 
Once again the Sea Lions relied on their defense to shut the Argonauts (4-11-1, 2-7-1 PacWest) down in the first half before getting second-half goals from Kaiti Freeberg, Dottie Rhoten and Shelby Murphy to continue their winning streak. This was also the seventh straight shutout for PLNU.
 
Kaiti Freeberg put the first goal on the board for PLNU just two minutes after the half. Natalie Swift dribbled the ball up the left side and sent a cross on the ground right in front of the net where Freeberg touched into the back of the net for her second goal of the season.
 
Dottie Rhoten scored her first goal of the season in the 64th minute to extend the Sea Lions' lead to 2-0. Rhoten worked her way to an open area near the top of the box and collected Jennifer Ballez's cross which had snuck through a couple defenders to get a clean look at the goal, which she did not miss.
 
Shelby Murphy put the match away six minutes later with her team-leading fourth goal of the season after collecting a loose ball from a rebound.
 
"There is a diversity of girls scoring," Hall said. "The team as a defense has been playing well all season but we are now starting to gel a little bit more as an offense. The girls are showing good creativity in the offensive half.
 
"All three goals we had today were in run of play and I thought the way they worked the ball to get those opportunities was very good," added Hall.
 
The PLNU defense kept up its intensity throughout the match to post one of its best efforts of the season, allowing just one shot on goal all match in which goal keeper Ariel Oriarte made a great leaping punch save to extend her scoreless streak to 654:21.
 
"They do what they need to do to win these games," Hall explained. "Whether at home or on the road they are battling, and even when they don't play their best soccer these women find a way to get the result."  
 
PLNU will have the chance to win its first-ever PacWest Championship on Saturday at 1:30 p.m., against Holy Names (0-12-1, 0-8-0 PacWest). It will be the final home match of the season for Point Loma which will honor its three seniors, Lupe Herrera, Claire Mathews and Natalie Swift, before the match.