Three Second Half Goals Leads Rocky to Win
BILLINGS, Mont. – The Rocky Mountain College women’s soccer overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit to defeat Warner Pacific, 3-1, on a chilly afternoon at Wendy’s Field on Friday.
Rocky Mountain (10-3, 6-2 CCC) fell behind in the 17th minute as Staci Tatum scored on a free kick from 35 yards away. Tatum had two other first-half chances sail just over the crossbar to keep the Warner Pacific (3-8-2, 1-5-2 CCC) lead at just one.
Playing with the wind in the second half, the Battlin’ Bears turned up the pressure. They pulled the game level in the 46th minute when Sami Heimer deflected a corner kick from Lauryn Gamache with her stomach and into the net.
Rocky took the lead in the 59th minute after Hannah Borgel gathered a bad clearing chance and scored from the right side of the penalty area.
Gamache would add an insurance goal for the Battlin’ Bears in the 66th minute as she buried her free kick from 25 yards away.
Gamache finished the day with three points and two shots. This is the third time in four games she has found the back of the net and her fourth straight game with at least one point.
Rocky took 18 shots in the win with 13 coming in the second half. They put seven of those chances on goal while taking six corner kicks. Warner Pacific was limited to just six shots and only one off target attempt in the second half.
Heimer and Borgel led the Battlin’ Bears with four shots apiece. Borgel and Lauren Cornwall had a team-best two shots on goal.
Maia Wetzel made one save to earn the win in net.
The win clinched a spot in the Cascade Collegiate Conference Tournament to be played next month. Rocky trails Eastern Oregon by four points in the CCC standings with three games to play in the regular season. The two teams will meet on Sunday at 2 p.m. at Wendy’s Field.