FRESNO, Calif. - The Point Loma women's soccer team grinded out a crucial 2-0 win over Fresno Pacific as both
Emily Pedlowe and
Easton Kawawaki notched goals in the second half on Saturday, Oct. 10.
PLNU (7-3-0, 4-1-0 PacWest) has now won back-to-back PacWest matches after having their 15-match PacWest unbeaten streak snapped last Saturday. PLNU is just three points behind Pacwest leaders Concordia (CA) and California Baptist for first place in the standings. The loss drops FPU to 5-4-1 on the season and to 3-2-1 in the PacWest.
The match sat at 0-0 for the first 72 minutes until
Emily Pedlowe untied the score with her first career goal. The freshman from Sunol, Calif., went up perfectly on a well-placed corner kick from
Shelby Murphy to the far post to head the ball into the net for the first goal of the match.
Easton Kawawaki would give PLNU some breathing room late with a goal in the 84th minute. Kawawaki got behind the defenders and
Sami Swanson found her on a beautiful through ball for a breakaway against the keeper. Kawawaki ran 45 yards to retrieve the ball and then she took the ball right at FPU's goalie and beat her into the far right low part of the net to put Point Loma up 2-0. This was Kawawaki's second straight match with a goal.
Before those two goals though the match was very even, with FPU maybe even having the slight edge as they outshot PLNU in the first half. Point Loma's goalie
Ariel Oriarte was forced to make a season-high five saves in the match, including three in the first half (which matched her previous season-high). This was also the Sea Lions and Oriarte's sixth shutout in 10 matches this season.
"The first half was atrocious; it was the worst half we played all year," said Point Loma head coach
Tim Hall. "The second half we played really well. You could see the momentum start to turn in the first few minutes, then our fitness really kicked in and it showed at the end of the game in hot weather.
"In the last 30 minutes we played fantastic," Hall continued. "I am very proud of them for finding a way to turn it around and play well after playing so poorly early. "
The PLNU women's soccer team will have a fast turnaround as they will return home and host Chaminade on Monday, Oct. 12 at 1:00 p.m.
"We are going to let the women enjoy this victory tonight but we will challenge them and they have to show up against Chaminade on Monday," explained Hall. "We have to put the win behind them, find their mentality, get their energy and take it Chaminade. I really think our women will respond (to the short turnaround) and play well.
"We are playing just one game at a time and focusing on that one game," Hall added. "Hopefully we come out and play like we are capable of on Monday."
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