Statesmen Claim First Heart Victory

Fulton, Mo.--The William Penn women's soccer team broke through for its first Heart of America Athletic Conference win of the season Saturday, shutting out William Woods 3-0 on the road.

The Statesmen (2-8-1, 1-6 Heart) controlled play throughout, outshooting the Owls (2-8-1, 1-6-1 Heart) by a 16-8 margin, including an 11-5 advantage in shots on goal.

After a scoreless first half, William Penn came out strong following the break. Rakiya Morgan-King (So., Gloucestershire, Kinesiology) opened the scoring in the 55th minute, converting a setup from Lilly Cote (So., Iowa City, Iowa, Business Management).

Kereece Hutchinson (Jr., Manchester, Jamaica, Sports Management) extended the lead with an unassisted strike in the 73rd minute, and just two minutes later, Sian Bah (Sr., London, England, Political Science) capped the scoring with a goal off a cross from Anna Museler (Jr., Dresden, Germany, Engineering).

The Statesmen capitalized on their second-half momentum, converting three of their seven shots in the frame. Cote led the offensive push with five shots, while Hutchinson added four of her own.

"Today felt good. It was an accumulation of all the hard work this group has put in this season," said Head Coach Kaleb Preston.  "We have faced so much adversity this season, so it's nice to see the team get something they deserve. All around great team effort today, and I'm very proud of this group."

Up Next: William Penn returns home to host No. 6 Missouri Valley next Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in Heart action at Drost Field.