SAN MARCOS, Calif. - The 10th ranked Ottawa University Arizona women's soccer team shutout the Saint Katherine College Firebirds on Tuesday afternoon by a final of 4-0 in San Marcos, California.
With the victory, the 10th ranked Spirit improve to 6-3 overall on the season. With the loss, the Saint Katherine Firebirds fall to 0-1 on the season.
"We are missing a lot of players due to injuries, we had several new faces in our starting eleven today," said OUAZ head women's soccer coach Skelly Kellar. "They stepped up big time and helped make an impact in the game. I thought we managed the game well and limited their chances to well outside the box."
Kellar continued, "we need to work on being more patient on the ball and more clinical in the box when we have chances. Overall, it was a good weekend and a lot of our girls got some good minutes and stepped up big for us."
OUAZ jumped on the scoreboard early in the first half on Monday afternoon, when Carly Cope found Kacyee Youngs, for the matches' first goal. Kaitlyn Kelsey (JR/Surprise, AZ) would add her first goal of the match a little later, extending OUAZ's lead to 2-0 over the Firebirds. That lead would hold as the teams headed into halftime.
In the second half, Kaitlyn Kelsey was at it again, when Carly Cope found her for her second goal of the game. Kelsey would then add one more goal from a Rianna Poarch (JR/Gilbert, AZ) pass to make it 4-0 in favor of the Spirit. The final goal eclipsed the hat-trick for Kaitlyn Kelsey.
Brooke Riddle (JR/Cypress, CA) picked up the shutout victory in goal for the Spirit, stopping all three shots she faced. OUAZ outshot Saint Katherine 30-3 in the match.
On Tuesday morning, the National Christian College Athletic Association announced their Top-10 weekly rankings, with the Spirit women's soccer team moving from receiving votes, to being ranked 10th in the Nation.
"We are honored and humbled again to move back into the Top-10," said OUAZ head women's soccer coach Skelly Kellar. "We have a lot to work on, but considering everything we have been up against, it is a testament to the girl's hard work and perseverance. We have talked a lot about how to react when things don't go your way and about honoring God through those actions. It has been great to see these young ladies grow together and challenge each other each and every day they hit the pitch."
The 10th ranked Spirit return to the field next Tuesday October 3rd at 7pm in Lancaster, California against the University of Antelope Valley.
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About Ottawa University
Founded in 1865, Ottawa University prepares professional and liberal arts graduates for lifetimes of personal significance, vocational fulfillment and service to God and humanity within a Christ-inspired community of grace and open inquiry. Ottawa University is a comprehensive, not-for-profit educational institution serving 3,000 students through its residential campuses in Ottawa, Kan., and Surprise, Ariz., and adult campuses in Overland Park, Kan.; Phoenix, Queen Creek and Surprise, Ariz.; Brookfield, Wis.; Jeffersonville, Ind.; as well as online. For more information, visit www.ottawa.edu.
For more information about OUAZ athletics, visit http://www.ottawa.edu/ouaz/athletics. Follow OUAZ athletics on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/OUAZSpiritAthletics/ and on Twitter twitter.com/OUAZSpirit.
