Statesmen Rally Past Stephens 2-1

Ashland, Mo.–The William Penn women’s soccer team notched its second victory of the fall as it rallied past Stephens 2-1 in non-conference action Monday.

WPU (2-1-2) controlled the action with a 30-8 edge in shots, but failed to score on any of its first 15 attempts.

The Stars (0-2-1), however, who had just four shots in the opening period, were able to break through as they found the back of the netting in the 42nd minute.

Fortunately, with the visitors fighting to the very end of the stanza, with mere seconds remaining until the break, Sian Bah (Jr., London, England, Political Science) tracked down a ball from Lina Regadane (So., So., Ijmuiden, Netherlands, Business Management) and launched it to the upper right-hand corner of the goal to knot the contest at 1-1 entering intermission.

WPU, which also held a 6-1 advantage in corner kicks, continued to pressure its host after halftime and eventually went on top for good as a corner kick by Madison Soratos (Fr., Murrieta, Calif., Psychology) was collected and put away by Emma Brandt (So., Cologne, Germany, Sports Management) at the 73:24 mark.

The Stars produced a few shots down the stretch, but the navy and gold thwarted each attempt as Emma Billings (Salt Lake City, Utah, Psychology) earned the victory with six saves.

Eleven separate William Penn players recorded a shot with 10 having at least two. The balanced attack was guided by the trio of Bah, Brandt, and Regadane with four tries each.

“We got the job done tonight,” Head Coach Kaleb Preston said. “The goal from Sian Bah right before half was a much-needed lift. We dominated play, but are still struggling to find the back of the net consistently. Hopefully, tomorrow we can continue the momentum and return home with two road wins.”

Next Up: William Penn travels to St. Louis, Mo. Tuesday to face Harris-Stowe State in non-conference action at 3 p.m.