By: Luke Rinne, Assistant Sports Information Director
Box Score
(Rolla, Mo.) – History was made on Friday at the S&T Soccer Field as the Missouri S&T Lady Miners advanced to the postseason for the first time in school history with a 3-0 win over Saint Joseph's College.
After being so close the last two seasons the Lady Miners (7-6, 7-6 GLVC) finally got over the hump and secured a spot in the GLVC Tournament that begins next weekend.
Things didn't start out well in the opening 45 minutes for S&T as the Pumas (1-13-1, 1-12 GLVC) dominated play in the early going outshooting the Lady Miners 4-0 to start. S&T closed the half out strong getting six shots off and if it wasn't for the SJC defense blocking three or four shots the Lady Miners might have had a lead at the break.
S&T outshoot the Pumas 6-4 and 1-0 in shots on goal.
The second half started off like the beginning of the game as Saint Joseph's controlled the play for about the first 20 minutes. Again it was getting shots off but only one was really dangerous. That came in the 63rd minute when Melissa Barrett picked up a loose ball at the top of the box and fired a wide open shot that went over the crossbar.
That would be their last chance as the Lady Miners dominated the final 26 minutes eventually scoring the game winner in the 70th minute. Colleen Lewis (St. Louis, Mo./Nerinx Hall Academy) sent a perfect cross into Melissa Young (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias) just outside the box and she rifled a shot off the keeper's hands into the upper 90 for her first of the year.
Young wasn't done as she scored again 0:29 later receiving a pass from Morgan Lockowitz (Trenton, Ill./Wesclin ) in the box. Young settled and sent it past the keeper inside the near post.
Kimberly Ekholm (Houston, Texas/Cy-Springs ) finished off the scoring heading home a cross inside the box from Leah Williams (Lawrence, Kan./Free State) for her first college goal.
That would be all Kelsey Kurilla (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) needed as she made one save and recorded her third shutout of the season to move into a tie for sixth place all-time in the S&T record books.
The Lady Miners finished the game outshooting the Pumas 13-8 and 5-1 in shots on goal.
S&T closes out its regular season on Sunday afternoon against Indianapolis beginning at 2:30 p.m.
