The University of Redlands women's soccer team headed to Pasadena on Wednesday afternoon to face the Caltech Beavers on the road for the first time in Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) action. While utilizing a total-team effort, the Bulldogs prevailed in a 2-0 decision en route to their sixth shutout of the season.
After the Beavers unleashed the opening shot, the Maroon and Gray jumped on the board in the 18th minute when sophomore forward Eva Vlassopoulos (Portland, OR) found the back of the net on a breakaway.
Redlands kept the offensive pressure on when senior forward Madison Mills' (San Ramon, CA) shot forced a Caltech save and senior forward Adi Fellows' (Albuquerque, NM) attempt bounced off the post.
By the 22nd minute, the Bulldogs gained a 2-0 advantage when Vlassopoulos found Fellows in the box for an insurance goal.
However, the Beavers refused to go away and immediately tested first-year goalkeeper Natalie Hubacz (Grass Valley, CA), who entered the game for junior starter Brittany Dinkins (Renton, WA) after the second score. Caltech fired off three save-requiring shots over the next six minutes but Hubacz maintained the clean sheet for the Maroon and Gray.
The Bulldogs continued to rack up shots in the second half, with junior forward Bryn Anderson (Tahoe City, CA), senior midfielder Hayley Romo (Port Orchard, WA), and Mills each gaining quality looks that forced the Beavers to answer on defense.
Overall, Redlands dominated the shot column with a 14-5 margin, with none of Caltech's coming in the second half due to the Bulldogs' stingy backline that included first-years Tristen Sherley (Novato, CA), Lizzy Geringer (Fullerton, CA), and Nolan Mendonca (Santee, CA), among others. In addition, first-year goalkeeper Kennedy Kerr (Bellevue, WA) registered 45 minutes of shutout work between the posts.
The Bulldogs (9-4-1, 8-2-1 SCIAC) return home on Saturday, October 20, for Senior Night against the University of La Verne Leopards. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. on Farquhar Field.