WATERLOO, Ontario — Marisa Crane netted an early goal as the Mustangs Women's Soccer team won their opening round playoff game 2-0 over Laurier on Wednesday night.
"It was a well deserved win. Every single player on the field came out and did their job." said Crane. "We were moving the ball well, Emily Foster sent the perfect cross to the back post and I was in the right place at the right time. There's no better feeling than having your teammates around you in those moments and we're bringing that energy into the next round!"
The Mustangs finished with four shots to Laurier's eight, but put all four on goal and scored through Marisa Crane and Miranda Preece. Laurier managed three shots on goal, and Astrid Hancocks saved all three as Western completed the shutout.
"Very proud of how the players competed today. Everyone dug deep and found a playoff version of themselves." said Associate Coach Onkar Dhillon. "We knew it would take our very best to get through this round, and I thought the group responded really well to that challenge."
GAME RECAP
Crane scored at 7:44 to give the Mustangs a 1-0 first-half lead. Western generated early pressure with two corner kicks and a Sophia Saville shot on goal before Crane's finish. Laurier pushed late, but Hancocks made three saves in the half, including one at 45:00, and Western reached halftime ahead 1-0.
Preece scored at 79:28 to extend the Mustangs' lead to 2-0 in the second half. Earlier, Cassidy Jaycock put a shot on goal that was saved in the 54th minute, and Western finished the match with a 2-0 win.
MUSTANGS KEY STATS
Marisa Crane
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- one goal
- game-winning goal
- one shot on goal
Miranda Preece
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- one goal
- one shot on goal
Astrid Hancocks
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- three saves
- shutout
- 90 minutes in goal
NEXT GAME
The Mustangs move on to the OUA Quarterfinals which will be Saturday, October 24. Stay tuned to WesternMustangs.ca for full details.
