Box Score MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Though it took 71 minutes to find the first goal, quick scores in the second half pushed the West Virginia University women's soccer team to a 2-0 victory over Saint Francis (Pa.) this afternoon at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.
 
The result pushes the Mountaineers' (4-2-3) win streak to three, their longest streak since stringing together three wins Oct. 22 – Nov. 1 in 2017.
 
"You have to give a lot of credit to Saint Francis – they did everything they could to disrupt us," Mountaineer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown said. "At the end of the day, we're going to take this win as we move into conference play."
 
For the second straight match, the WVU defense denied an opponent a shot, marking the first time in the program's 23-year history the Mountaineers have prevented a team from taking a shot in back-to-back matches. The Red Flash are the ninth team in program history to not earn a look against WVU.
 
SFU (2-6-2) also did not earn a corner kick, becoming the second team in three matches to not earn a chance.
 
The clean sheet is the Mountaineers' fourth of the season. Junior Rylee Foster earned credit for the shutout, her third of the season and the 23rd of her career. She is now tied with Hannah Steadman (2014-15) at No. 5 on WVU's all-time career shutout list.
 
The stout defensive effort provided WVU with time to find the game-winning goal, and the result was worth the wait. Senior defender Vanessa Flores pushed the ball up the field before sending it to sophomore Stefany Ferrer-vanGinkel. After beating a defender inside the box, the midfielder sent the ball wide to senior forward Sh'Nia Gordon. Off her first-touch near the six-yard box, Gordon placed her low shot toward the far-right post for her first game-winning goal of the season.
 
Gordon's goal was her second in as many games, giving her scores in back-to-back matches for just the second time in her career. She now shows a team-best 18 career goals and 49 (18 G, 13 A) career points.
 
"It was a team effort, but I love to see that Nia had the ability to lead us and get that finish," Izzo-Brown said. "This is a confidence opportunity for her, and I hope she understands she has the ability to finish and lead us in the attack. I'm thrilled that the shots are falling for her."
 
Ferrer-vanGinkel's helper, her first career assist, puts her weekend point total at five (2 G, 1 A). She continues to pace the Mountaineer attack with seven points (3 G, 1 A).
 
WVU did not have to wait long for the insurance goal, as freshmen Alina Stahl and Jordan Brewster connected in the 78th minute. Flores again started the scoring play, sending the ball into the box, where Stahl was posted at the penalty line. After turning with the ball and not finding a shooting lane, Stahl sent a pass wide to Brewster, who immediately put her shot on-frame. The ball swiftly bounced off the head of an SFU defender at the goal line before falling into the back of the net.
 
The score is the first career goal for Brewster, and the assist is the second of the season for Stahl, who finishes the weekend with three points (1 G, 1 A).
 
The Mountaineers finished the match with a season-high 33 shots and forced SFU's Julia Hernan into nine saves, six in the second half. WVU earned 12 corner kicks, one short of its season high.
 
Sophomore forward Lauren Segalla paced the Mountaineers with a career-high six shots, and senior forward Hannah Abraham finished with a career-high matching five shots.
 
The Mountaineers certainly had their chances in the first half, outshooting SFU, 15-0, and earning eight corner kicks.
 
Junior forward Jade Gentile had WVU's best look in the 39th minute, taking a shot near the left post that nearly jumped over a sprawled-out Hernan. The ball did bounce into the box to Nadya Gill, but the senior midfielder was whistled offside, negating her close-range goal.
 
WVU's third corner kick of the match in the 18th minute looked promising. Senior midfielder Grace Cutler saved the ball at the end line and headed it into the box. Posted in front of the goal line, senior forward Hannah Abraham swiftly headed it toward the frame, but it went high of the crossbar.
 
Eleven minutes into the second half, WVU nearly earned its first goal. Off the Mountaineers' ninth corner kick, Cutler's header was saved by Hernan at the line. Less than a minute later, WVU had a second surge. Cutler's shot inside the box was blocked. The ball bounced out to Gordon, who sent it high, but freshman midfielder Addison Clark's low attempt was stopped at the left post.
 
Sophomore midfielder Grace Smith earned a look in the 65th minute. After receiving the ball from senior defender Easther Mayi Kith's, she wove past defenders inside the box before taking a shot near the penalty line, but Hernan was there for the catching save.
 
With the win, WVU improves to 4-0 all-time against SFU.
 
The Mountaineers return to the road and open Big 12 Conference play at No. 24 Texas Tech on Friday, Sept. 21, with first kick set for 8 p.m. EST.