INSTITUTE, W.Va. – The West Virginia State University women's soccer team defeated West Virginia Wesleyan, 2-1, on Sunday night at Lakin-Ray Field at Dickerson Stadium. The Yellow Jackets grabbed the two-goal lead early on and let one goal in late on a free kick.
WVSU jumps to 6-0 overall and 4-0 in the Mountain East Conference with the victory. Meanwhile, WVWC falls to 1-5 on the season and 1-3 in the MEC with the defeat.
Graduate striker Fran Soares-Cupertino added two goals to reach a total of nine on the year. Freshman midfielder Maria Amaral picked up her second assist of the season while senior winger Esther Dhiramo picked up her third.
State did not take long to settle in during the first half. Within 13 minutes of the opening whistle, WVSU was in front by a goal. A cross was sent into the six-yard box that Esther Dhiramo redirected with her head to an adjacent Fran Soares-Cupertino. Soares-Cupertino then headed the ball with force past a diving keeper.
The Yellow Jackets did not long to score again. In the 20th minute, Maria Amaral made a well-timed tackle and then weighted a pass perfectly to Soares-Cupertino on a run. Soares-Cupertino then one-timed a shot into the right side of the net past a charging keeper.
State took six more shots before halftime. Three of those shots missed the target, two were blocked, and Billie Jean Davies's shot right before the break required a save. WVSU held onto its 2-0 lead through the first 45 minutes.
The second half was just as chippy as the end of the first half, with each team committing five fouls. Three of those fouls against State came with a yellow card and two for the Bobcats earned cautions. The Bobcats eventually got on the scoreboard in the 82nd minute after a foul was called against Sandra Linares and the spot kick found the top left corner. The Bobcats continued to press furiously against the Yellow Jacket defense, but couldn't penetrate it, only managing one shot for the rest of the half.
Soares-Cupertino took four shots on target and scored both goals for the Jackets, bringing her season total to nine. Dhiramo and Amaral both picked up assists. Dhiramo picked up her third on the season while Amral picked up her second. Galindo made seven saves in the match to pick up the win.
Chloe Ramirez had the lone goal for the Bobcats, putting three shots on target. Ally Moore faced down eight shots on target, saving six of them in the loss.
Up next, the Yellow Jackets welcome cross-town rival Charleston in the Kanawha River Derby on Wednesday for a 6:00 pm kick-off. UC fell to Concord 1-0 on Sunday night but retained the No. 2 position in the MEC South, while WVSU remains atop the division. Live stats and live video will be available.
