Al Case, Ashland Daily Photo.
Wood hooks up Martinez for 78th-minute winner against RMC
SOU Sports Information
ASHLAND – The Southern Oregon women's soccer team finally got some revenge against Rocky Mountain (Mont.), opening its Cascade Conference schedule in style with a 1-0 victory Friday afternoon at Raider Stadium.
Picked to finish sixth in the CCC, the Raiders took down last year's runner-up and a team they hadn't defeated since Rocky Mountain joined the circuit in 2015. Misty Martinez, a sophomore reserve from Petaluma, Calif., deposited the game-winner with an assist from Brionna Wood.
SOU keeper Kailey Lemon kept the game scoreless with five of her seven saves in the second half, and in the 78th minute Wood won the ball off a Bear to start the decisive play. From deep in the backfield, she initiated a counter and Martinez caught up to her pass about 40 yards away from the goal. She then outran a pair of defenders who were on her trail to create a one-on-one chance against keeper Maia Wetzel, lining a strike right past her from close up.
The Raiders improved to 3-1-1 overall. In successive seasons, the Bears (4-2) had knocked them out of the CCC tournament (2015), defeated them in the final game of the regular season to take away their national tournament spot ('16), and erased their 3-1 lead for a 4-3 overtime win ('17).
SOU paid them back by shutting down all-star forward Lauryn Gamache, who had scored four times against the Raiders in the last two seasons. In the latest matchup she was limited to three shots, two of which Lemon saved.
Rocky outshot SOU, 11-8, and four of the Raiders' shots on goal came from subs – Martinez (2), Cassandra Kohler and Simone Schroder.
Dating back to last season, the Raiders have held 10 consecutive opponents to one or no goals. They've also won five consecutive games at home.
They'll get a shot at another at 1:30 p.m. Sunday against The College of Idaho.