Phoenix, Ariz. — OUAZ women's soccer continued its strong stretch of conference play on Saturday evening, earning a 3-0 road victory over Park-Gilbert in GSAC action. The win improves the Spirit to 5-4-3 overall and 4-3-2 in GSAC play.
OUAZ controlled the match from the opening whistle, outshooting the Buccaneers 11-6 while limiting Park-Gilbert to just two shots on goal. The Spirit defense was outstanding throughout the night, helping secure the team's fourth shutout of the season.
The Spirit broke through in the 22nd minute when Grace Otero found the back of the net for her fourth goal of the season. The unassisted strike gave OUAZ a 1-0 lead and provided all the scoring needed in the opening half.
OUAZ continued to dictate play after halftime and quickly doubled its advantage. Just over three minutes into the second half, Desiree Dutra scored her seventh goal of the season off an assist from Madison Mendiola to make it 2-0.
The Spirit added another insurance goal in the 63rd minute when Dutra struck again, this time finishing a setup from Meredith Galus. The goal was Dutra's eighth of the year and capped the scoring at 3-0.
Dutra led the Spirit attack with two goals and four shots, while Otero added a goal and three shots. Janessa Lugo contributed two shots, and Alee Williams put a shot on target as OUAZ consistently pressured the Buccaneers throughout the match.
Defensively, Eerika Erjansalo was strong in goal, recording two saves and earning the shutout. The Spirit back line held Park-Gilbert scoreless for the second time this season and limited quality scoring chances throughout the contest.
The victory marks OUAZ's fifth win in its last six matches as the Spirit continue their climb in the GSAC standings heading into the final weeks of the regular season.
OUAZ will return home on Monday, Oct. 12, for a non-conference matchup against Justice. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Spirit Field. The Spirit will look to carry their momentum into the home contest before returning to conference play later in the week.
