Box Score (html)
ALVA, Okla. – SWOSU Soccer opened up their Great American Conference schedule up with a 6-1 victory over rival Northwestern Oklahoma State on Tuesday night. In just the sixth match of the season,
Alimata Rabo scored three goals to pass
Samantha Nunez in the record books for total goals in a season with 13.
Sandra Nabweteme added two goals of her own, and
Ashlyn Collier also scored once for the Bulldogs in the match.
Nabweteme got the scoring going in the 10th minute when she took a pass from
Sarah Wilson and beat a Northwestern defender to put the Bulldogs up 1-0. Not even a minute later, Rabo ran the center of the field beating all surrounding defenders and netting home SWOSU's second goal in a matter of seconds. After falling down 2-0, the Ranger attack started threatening to score. Northwestern added a few shots on goal of their own, in the middle of the period, but SWOSU goalkeeper
Courtney Flores shut those attempts down. The Ranger's lone goal of the match came in the 35th minute when Yazmin Gomez was able to find the back of the net to cut SWOSU's lead in half 2-1. Shortly after in the 37th minute, Collier answered with a goal to give the Bulldogs some breathing room. At halftime, it was SWOSU leading 3-1.
Right out of the locker room, Rabo came out firing scoring her second goal of the game in the 46th minute from a Nabweteme assist. Rabo's goal tied SWOSU's school record for goals in a season, but that position in the record books wouldn't last long. In the 74th minute, it was Rabo again putting one home to mark her name down as the all-time leader for goals scored in a season with her 13th goal of the season. The score also marked Rabo's third hat trick of the season. The SWOSU attack was rounded out in the 80th minute, after Nabweteme netted her second goal of the match, giving SWOSU a 6-1 lead.
In the second half, the Bulldog defense buckled down to only allow one shot the entire half. Flores had three saves and conceded one goal in her 90 minutes guarding the net. The tough defense allowed SWOSU to outshoot Northwestern 31-7 in the game, and forced the Ranger goalkeeper to earn 16 saves.
The Bulldogs (4-1-1, 1-0 GAC) will be back in action on Sunday (Sept. 25) against East Central for the first home conference game of the season starting at 1 pm.
