NO. 15 DRAGONS TALLY 3 FIRST-HALF GOALS TO DEFEAT WESTERN WYOMING

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

Isabell Van Fleet, Poppy Smith and Maria Azevedo all scored first-half goals and the Blue Dragon defense did the rest as the No. 15-ranked Hutchinson Community College women's soccer team rolled to a 3-0 victory over Western Wyoming on Wednesday afternoon at Don Michael Field.

The Blue Dragons improved to 2-0 for the second-straight season and extended their current home unbeaten streak to 12 games (9 wins, 3 ties).

The Blue Dragons travel to NOC-Enid for a 5 p.m. kickoff on Sunday in Enid, Oklahoma. Western Wyoming falls to 0-2-1.

With a light, but steady rain falling through the first half and coming off Monday's thrilling last-minute victory over No. 12 Trinity Valley, the Blue Dragons got off to a slow offensive start on Wednesday against the Mustangs.

The Dragons picked up the pace and opened the scoring with a corner kick in the 23rd minute. The corner was awarded after Anastasia Pokrandt's free kick from midfield following a Mustang foul nearly bounced over Western goalkeeper Maliya Bell, who jumped and swatted the ball out of play for a Dragon corner.

The Blue Dragons scored their second goal of the season off the set piece as freshman midfielder Olivia Tamaki's cross was headed into the goal by Van Fleet, her first goal as a Blue Dragon, for a 1-0 lead.

Hutchinson took a 2-0 lead a little more than 4 minutes later when freshman Onna Dowling stole a Mustang clearing attempt with an athletic open-field play and immediately got the ball to Smith, who worked her way through traffic and fired a shot from 20 yards out into the lower left corner with 16:55 remaining in the first half.

Smith scored her third goal of the season.

The Blue Dragons opened a three-goal advantage with 3:51 to go in the first half when Isabel Puccinelli made a strong run down the sideline and just before reaching the back line, sent a perfect cross to the left side of the goal where Azevedo scored into a wide open net for a 3-0 Hutchinson lead.

The lead was then protected by a season-high five saves from freshman goalkeeper Evie Carvell (2-0) and another strong game from the back line of Pokrandt, Teagan Garrison, Lucy Bacon and Ava McAnich, who combined to limit Western Wyoming to only five shots on goal and 12 total shots taken.

The shutout was in jeopardy in the 68th minute when Western Wyoming was awarded a penalty kick. The attempt by Maddie Miller hit off the cross bar to keep the shutout intact.

The Blue Dragons out-shot Western Wyoming 14-12 overall and 6-5 in shots on goal.

GAME NOTES:
+ Hutchinson is now 4-0 all-time against Western Wyoming, three of the wins are by shutout.

+ This was Hutchinson's 190th all-time women's soccer shutout in its 21 seasons.

+ Both of Olivia Tamaki's assists this season have come directly off her corner kicks.

+ Opposing teams are now 3 for 10 all-time in penalty kicks.

+ Maria Azevedo's goal was her fifth career goal as a Blue Dragon.