McLaughlin Field once again saw action as the USAO Drovers (4-1, 0-0 SAC) faced off against Ottawa University (0-2, 0-0 SAC) on Saturday evening.
Spectators did not have to wait long to see action, because shortly after the 6th minute, Alicia Rey put the first goal on the board, with a double assist by Laura Barrantes and Avery Walker, for her fourth goal of the season.
Rey kicked another goal at the 14-minute mark, double assisted by Aleigha Prince and Walker. Four minutes later, Rey scored another goal for the Drovers with a double assist by Barrantes and Walker. Two shots on the goal were attempted by the Drovers, with one high and one saved by Ottowa’s goalie, Alondra Carbajal-Pettry.
Rey’s fourth kick into the goal came at 21:12, with an assist by Dagbjort Gudmunsdott. This goal would be the last of the half, giving the Drovers a 4-0 lead over Ottawa.
Drover goalie Ashlyn Lonberg saved a shot from Ottawa’s Rebecca Lilley at 56:24. The first goal of the second half would once again come from Rey, assisted by Gudmunsdott. This would be her last goal of the game and her eighth goal of the season overall.
“I couldn’t score without my team,” Rey said, as her mindset was to just keep playing. “We keep practicing, and it’s game-by-game.”
The last goal from the Drovers was scored by Katie O’Keefe at 75:38, scoring her first goal of the season. Seconds later, Lonberg would protect USAO’s goal once again from Ottawa’s Jessenia Velez. Ottawa would not remain silent however, with a goal at the 90-minute mark from Alma Erkisson.
The game ended with a Drover victory of 6-1, and giving the Drovers an overall season of 4-1.
“I think we’re in a good spot [in the conference],” said Dria Hampton, assistant coach for USAO’s women’s soccer. “This two-game road trip will give us a good vision of how good we are on the road, because it’s obviously a lot different playing on the road versus playing at home.”
An away game can be a lot tougher for the team, but Hampton said she’s super confident in the team for when the team takes to the road.
Despite the victory for the Drovers, there are still things the team will still work on as the season carries on. Hampton said that keeping focused while the team has complete control of the game is key, since it can be easy to essentially let the guard down, giving the opponent a chance to take advantage.
“The challenge is to keep a clean sheet. We have to keep a clean sheet and mentally lock in and focus,” Hampton said.
The Drovers will host Our Lady of the Lake University Monday, Sept. 4 at 12:00 p.m. at McLaughlin Field before loading onto the bus for two consecutive road games.
Paul Tointigh is a fourth-year communication major at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.
