ALVA, Okla. – The Northwestern Oklahoma State women's soccer team defeated Southern Nazarene, 3-0, in their Great American Conference opener Wednesday night. The win moves the Rangers to 5-1-1 on the season.
The Ranger offense got off to a quick start, as
Braxtyn Turner and
Cambell Tabor got off shots in the first 15 minutes, followed by
Katy Jo Werner scoring her first goal of the season off a long pass from
Elie Dang in the 19
th minute to give Northwestern an early 1-0 lead. The Crimson Storm tried to push back, but the Rangers kept forcing Southern Nazarene into shots away from the goal, giving Northwestern a one-goal advantage at halftime.
Northwestern's defense continued to lock down the Crimson Storm, as
Taylor Annen, recorded three saves in an eight-minute span early in the second half to keep the shutout alive. The Rangers turned defense into offense in the 61
st minute, as
Jenna Mills found Tabor, who ripped a shot into the back of the net to double the Ranger lead, 2-0.
Southern Nazarene kept firing shots late in the game, but Annen kept making saves, and eventually heaved the ball down the pitch to Werner, who split through two defenders and blasted another goal through to give the Rangers a 3-0 win, and Werner's first brace of her career.
The Crimson Storm outshot the Rangers, 23-16, and had more shots on goal, 10-8. Annen recorded 10 saves in the clean sheet, giving her three shutouts this season and 11 in her career, moving her to second all-time in career shutouts. Werner led the Rangers in shots with four, while Werner and Tabor each had two shots on goal. The three-goal margin of victory is the largest over Southern Nazarene since Oct. 6, 2022, when the Rangers defeated them 5-2.
The Rangers will be back in action on Sept. 19 for Family Day, as they host Oklahoma Baptist at the Alva Recreation Complex at 11 a.m.
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