Pride fire on all cylinders in 5-0 win over William Penn

OSKALOOSA, Iowa - Continuing their conference-opening two-game start on the road, the Clarke University women's soccer team continued their strong start to Heart of America Athletic Conference play with a 5-0 win over William Penn University on Wednesday night.

Coming off of their 3-0 win at Park, the Pride offense continued to produce at a high level, this time not waiting very long to get on the board as Bailey Wiemann scored her third goal in two games and recorded her seventh point in three games with a goal in the seventh minute as she was able to redirect a ball from Morgan Lock into the back of the net to get the scornig started.

Shortly after that, Brie Cote would take the second of six CU corner kicks in the game as she lofted a high back-spinning ball near the goal that would go off WPU's keeper, Madeline Danielson's hands and over the goal line to make it 2-0 in the 10th minute.

That two-goal lead would maintain through halftime as another set piece attempt would see Cote step to the ball near midfield to send a long ball into the 18-yard box, once again deflected by a Statesmen player, this time a defender, changing the ball's line to this time get by Emma Billings, who subbed in at goalie during the halftime break.

In the 69th minute, freshman Jayden Black would be the choice for the Pride to step up to a free kick from about 25 yards away as she would fire a shot that would beat Billings near post for Black's fourth goal of the year, just one behind Wiemann's team-leading five goals.

A career-high would cap off the night for Clarke as sophomore Melony Jimenez would score her first career goal on a lofted shot that arced over the outstretched hands of Billings and just underneath the crossbar to make it the eventual final score of 5-0.

The Pride defensive unit led by a pair of 90-mintue performances from center backs Hope Ward and Lock would lead to another low shot total from a CU opponent as Faith Krapfl was up to the task of making the three saves she needed for her fourth individual shutout of the year and fifth total.

Clarke women's soccer will face their toughest test of the early part of 2024 when they host their first Heart oppoenent in No. 23 Missouri Valley on Saturday, Sept. 21 for a 1:00 p.m. CT scheduled kickoff against the Vikings at Burrows Field.