INDIANA, Pa. - In the second contest of their weekend road trip, the Wolves took down 10th-ranked Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 2-0 in an all out defensive battle.
The win was Newberry's first over a ranked opponent since downing No. 5 Bloomsburg by an identical 2-0 count in 2015. It also avenged a 3-2 double overtime defeat in the teams' most recent meeting in 2015 and gave the Hawks two straight losses after falling to No. 2 West Chester on Saturday.
Both teams battled in the first half, only taking a total of five shots between the two. The Wolves (2-2) withstood an aggressive Hawks (4-2) offense, staying connected in the back in order to avoid giving up a goal.
The Wolves notched two corners in the first half, attempting to set up a play to find the back of the cage but were unable to do so as both teams held strong defensively.
The home team looked to take their momentum into the second half after outshooting the Wolves 4-1 but the Wolves had other plans. Newberry took advantage of the defensive slip by the Hawks when Junior standout
Farai Kawonde was able to score her first of the season in the 34th minute. "Making those key adjustments at half allowed us to generate more attacking opportunities," remarked head coach
Hannah Dave.
IUP attempted to make things interesting late in the game, pressuring the back line in attempts to equalize the game. Goalkeeper
Charlotte Bragard and her defense stood strong after withstanding six shots and allowing five corners in the third quarter.
Bragard had another stellar defensive performance in her second start in goal of her collegiate career. Newberry upped its intensity even more in the fourth quarter taking two shots in the first minutes of the quarter, disallowing the Hawks to gain any momentum. The Wolves were able to secure their win in the 56th minute as senior forward
Brady Keeler slotted in her first of the season after receiving an inserted pass from a penalty corner by
Kristyna Oyola. Keeler now has 20 career goals, good for second most in school history.
Mariah Lee helped the wolves by controlling the left midfield side, disrupting the Hawks from moving forward in hopes of equalizing.
The Wolves look forward to their home opener against Mt. Olive on Thursdays, Sept. 26 at Seltzer field. The conference matchup against Trojans will commence at 4:30 PM.