SALT LAKE CITY – The 22nd-ranked Westminster College women's soccer team will continue its home stand with two games this weekend. Westminster will play Doane (Neb.) on Saturday at noon and then open Frontier Conference play on Monday against Great Falls (Mont.). The game against UGF has been moved to a noon start time. Doane and UGF will play each other at noon on Sunday with all three games being played at Dumke Field on the Westminster campus.
Griffin Notebook
Westminster enters the weekend with a 2-0 record after defeating Avila (Mo.) and College of Idaho at home last weekend. This is just the second time in school history the team has opened the year with two straight wins and the first time since 2007.
The Griffins dominated the first two games of the year, outscoring the opposition 10-0. They also posted a 27-10 advantage in total shots with a 23-6 edge in shots on goal. Westminster has attempted eight corner kicks to just one by their opponents.
The team is currently 13th in the NAIA with an average of 5.0 goals per game while placing 10th with 10 total goals. They also rank 10th in the country at 5.0 assists per outing with the 10 total assists placing them seventh nationally. The Griffins rank 39th in shots per game (18.5) and 31st in shots on goal per game (11.5). They are among 27 teams in the NAIA that have yet to allow a goal and their two shutouts place the Griffins 3rd in the NAIA.
Alyssa Hill leads the offense with three goals and six points. She ranks 20th in the nation in goals and 38th in points to this point of the season.
Margo Hickman has racked up five points behind one goal and three assists and is tied for the team assist lead with
Lorin Wathen.
Rylei North and
Amanda Peppers scored two goals apiece.
Justine Jones has fired eight shots to tie Hickman for the team lead in the category.
Jamie Wilkinson and
Dayna Winter-Nolte split the two games in goal over the weekend. Wilkinson recorded five saves in a shutout victory over Avila in her first career start. Winter-Nolte then posted a shutout victory behind one save against College of Idaho.
Reaching 50
With the two wins over the Weekend, Westminster and head coach
Tony LeBlanc reach 50 wins all-time. The Griffins reach 50 wins just two games into the program's sixth season and has an all-time record of 50-44-6. They have gone for 11 and 12 wins respectively the past two years, the two highest totals in school history.
Frontier Tabs Wilkinson
After earning a shutout win over Avila in her first career start on Friday, sophomore Wilkinson was named the Frontier Conference Defensive Player of the Week. Wilkinson made five saves to earn her first player of the week award, and the first by a Griffin this season.
Scouting Doane
Doane comes to Salt Lake City at 1-0 on the year after a 3-1 win over William Penn last Friday. The Tigers finished with a 21-5 edge in shots attempted and put nine of those shots on frame. Courtney Richards, Meghan Voigt and Sara Cushing each scored in the game while Kelsey Stark made one save in goal to earn the win.
Scouting Great Falls
Great Falls enters the week at 1-0 on the season. They defeated Eastern Oregon 2-1 in overtime at the Red Lion Frontier/Cascade Challenge last weekend. The Argonauts were outshot in the game 9-7 and gave up four corner kicks. Ashley Todd scored both Argo goals, including the game-winner in the ninth minute of overtime. Jocelyn Morris came up with three saves to earn the win in goal.
Against the Opposition
Westminster and Doane will be playing for the first time when they meet on Saturday.
The Griffins are a perfect 10-0 all-time against Great Falls. Westminster swept both meetings last season and haven't' allowed a UGF goal in seven straight meetings. That is a span of 640 straight minutes dating back to the last goal on Oct. 17, 2008.
