SALT LAKE CITY – Westminster (6-3-2, 4-2-2 RMAC) beat CSU Pueblo (3-9-2, 1-6-1 RMAC) 2-1 on Friday night at Dumke Field for its third straight win. Skye Kennedy scored the winner in the 76th minute. Westminster outshot the ThunderWolves 18-5, won the corner kick battle 12-2, and held 65% of possession.
Game Breakdown
First Half
Westminster pressed from the start. Kennedy had a shot blocked in the 7th minute, and Kirsten Kirkham had one saved by Ella Bulfer in the 8th. The Griffins then won five corner kicks between the 9th and 17th minutes, and Ashley Cardozo had a shot saved in the 16th. Kennedy was shown a yellow card in the 17th minute.
Adrianna Pulver gave Westminster the lead in the 19th minute with her fourth goal of the season, assisted by Kennedy, at 18:14. Ella Schutjer had a shot blocked in the 23rd, Kennedy sent one wide right in the 28th, and Chelsea Hartmann went wide right in the 38th.
CSU Pueblo equalized in the 39th minute. Katie Peterson scored her first goal of the season, assisted by Ruthie Landwehr, at 38:28 to make it 1-1. Kirkham sent a shot wide left in the 40th, and Landwehr had a shot blocked at the end of the half. The teams went to the break level at 1-1, with Westminster ahead 8-2 in shots and 6-1 in corners.
Second Half
Addison Gibbons sent a shot wide right in the 48th minute, and Amber McIntosh was shown a yellow card in the 50th. Xevani Salanoa went wide in the 51st. Marin Mackenzie then saved a Madi Reardon shot in the 54th, while Cardin had a shot blocked and Gibbons went wide left in the 54th and 55th. Abby Menk sent a shot wide left for the ThunderWolves in the 58th.
Westminster kept creating chances. Bulfer saved shots from Gibbons in the 66th and Cardin in the 67th. Kennedy then scored the go-ahead goal in the 76th minute, her second of the season, unassisted, at 75:24.
Cardin and Madelyn Feick each had shots blocked in the 81st minute, and Cardin was blocked again in the 84th. Menk had a late shot in the 89th, which Mackenzie saved to protect the lead. Westminster outshot Pueblo 10-3 and won the corner kick battle 6-1 in the second half.
Griffin Performances
Kennedy had a goal and an assist on three shots in 62 minutes. Pulver scored her fourth goal of the season on her only shot in 53 minutes. Cardin led the team with four shots in 90 minutes, and Gibbons took three shots in 90 minutes. Mackenzie earned the win in goal, making two saves in 90 minutes.
Up Next
Westminster stays home to host Colorado School of Mines on Sunday, Oct. 18, at noon for Senior Day.
