GREAT FALLS, Mont. — Brycelin Endrikat dished Abby McKean the game-winning goal on a platter in a 3-1 Southern Oregon victory over Providence (Mont.) on Thursday at Great Falls Stadium.
The winning strike came in the 74th minute after an inside-the-box pass from Endrikat gifted a running McKean a wide-open net just feet from the goal line, improving the Raiders to 7-1-3 overall and 4-1-1 in the conference.
They found an early lead after Ava Johnson scored a 34-yard free kick in the 3rd that sailed left of Argos keeper Chloe Pajaro's hand. Ashlyn Fuss made two first-half saves before a 38th-minute goal from Providence's Adele Gregory evened the score 1-1.
The Raiders generated 12 total shots while limiting Providence to five. The Argos (3-6 overall, 3-3 conference) managed only one shot in the second half.
In the 83rd, Endrikat again found another Raider in the box — this time Brooklyn Hayes — for her sixth assist of the season. In 10 matches, the freshman leads SOU in the assist column.
The goals from McKean and Hayes were their first of the year. Last season, the seniors led the Raiders in scoring with 15 and 10, respectively.
Next week, SOU will play a pivotal back-to-back in Ashland. They face Eastern Oregon on Friday and No. 4 College of Idaho on Saturday. Both matches kick off at noon.