WSOC | Gaels Shutout Nevada in Defensive Performance

Sunday, September 2

Moraga, CA

3:30 p.m. PT

Saint Mary's College of California

3-3

Nevada

3-1-1

Nevada

Saint Mary's (CA)

Jordyn Cunninham controls ball against Hawaii

Photo by: Saint Mary's Athletics / Tod Fierner

WSOC | Gaels Shutout Nevada in Defensive Performance

9/2/2018 8:32:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

Saint Mary's picked up their first shutout of the season on Sunday night against the Wolfpack.

MORAGA, Calif. — Saint Mary's outlasted Nevada 1-0 Sunday evening as Jordyn Cunningham scored the game-winning goal to help improve the Gaels to 3-3 and give Nevada (3-1-1) their first loss of the season.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Jordyn Cunningham tallied the lone goal of the match in the 57th minute as she intercepted a pass from a Wolfpack defender and sidestepped the goalkeeper to easily tap-in her team-leading third goal of the season. The junior has been clutch for the Gaels this year with two of her three scores ending up game-winners.

Maleah Milner made four saves for the Gaels en route to her first shutout of the season. The sophomore Milner has started in all six matches for SMC this year and has 26 saves thus far.

The first half proved to be a defensive battle as neither side was able to break the scoreless tie. Saint Mary's backline allowed only four shots in the opening half and eight shots total in the match to keep Nevada's offense at bay.

The Gaels' best scoring chance in the first half was made in the closing seconds when Kaitlin Groleau took a point-blank shot from six yards out but was denied by the Nevada keeper. Groleau took two shots in 39 minutes off the bench for SMC.

Nevada's best scoring opportunity of the game came early in the match as Payton Lieb hit the crossbar in the 12th minute of play. Lieb and Angel Meriwether led the Wolfpack with two shots each.

THOUGHTS FROM TRAVIS CLARKE

"It was good to finish this game off strong. We've gone to overtime four times already and had a chance to be 5-1. Our players fought hard and are getting better each day."
"This was a solid win for our program against a much-improved Nevada team."

QUICK FACTS

The two teams combined for 34 fouls in the match with 26 coming in the final half.
Saint Mary's took a total of nine shots during the contest.
Five Gaels played all 90 minutes of the game.
All three yellow cards happened within one minute of each other.

UP NEXT: FRESNO STATE

The Gaels will return to Saint Mary's Stadium on Sept. 9 for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff against Fresno State. Tickets for the game can be found by clicking here, calling the Ticket Office at (925) 631-GoTx, or by purchasing them at the entrance to the stadium.