MOUNT PLEASANT – Jennie Mitchell (Sr.-LaGrange, Ga.) scored her first collegiate goal to get Iowa Wesleyan College started, and the Tiger women’s soccer team went on to a 2-0 win over a solid Central Methodist (Mo.) University team Saturday afternoon at East Lake Park.
The Tigers won for the fourth time in their last five matches, with Cara Arnold (So.-Davis Junction, Ill.) getting the shutout in goal as IWC improved to 4-2-1 overall this season. Wesleyan tied its win total for the entire 2008 season and also knocked off a Central Methodist team that started the season 3-0 while outscoring its first three opponents by a combined score of 16-0.
Mitchell, a former IWC women’s basketball player in her first year playing soccer at the school, helped the Tigers turn the tide after early play favored the Eagles. Central Methodist had an advantage in play much of the first 20 minutes, but it was IWC scoring first when Mitchell beat goalkeeper Kristen Bailey in the 21st minute after receiving a pass from Eleni Nikols (So.-Elmwood Park, Ill.).
Wesleyan scored a second goal in the first half when Fanny Koloko-Green (Jr.-Fremont, Calif.) scored her fifth goal of the season, this one at the 34:03 mark off a pass from Jacki Isham (So.-Stillman Valley, Ill.). The goals served to give IWC a 2-0 lead and also take some air out of the Eagles, as the Tigers took control of play the rest of the half and took the 2-0 lead into halftime.
CMU briefly made a push to start the second half, putting pressure on the Tigers in the first ten minutes. The Eagles were unable to threaten seriously, though, and IWC regained control of play and held Central Methodist to just four shots in the second half. Arnold had to make just one save in the second half and a total of three for the match
Wesleyan outshot CMU 12-9 in the match. Koloko-Green, Brittney Moss (So.-Genoa, Ill.) and Serina Reyna (So.-Selma, Calif.) all had two shots to lead the Tigers. Natalie Rolph led the Eagles with three shots, two of them on goal.
IWC is now 4-1 in its last five matches and will look to continue its winning ways when it travels to face Knox College on Wednesday at 4 p.m. in Galesburg, Ill. The Tigers’ next match at home will be Saturday, Sept. 26 for the open of Midwest Collegiate Conference play against Mount Mercy College.
For more information regarding the IWC soccer programs or any of the Tiger athletic teams, contact sports information director Adam Glatczak (319-385-6306 phone; 319-385-6384 FAX; aglatczak@iwc.edu e-mail) or log on to IWC's athletics web site at www.iwc.edu/athletics.
Box score IWC 2 CMU 0
