MANKATO, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris women's soccer team were unlucky to not take a lead into halftime, but made up for a couple of close misses as play resumed in the second half to come away with a 2-0 victory over Bethany Lutheran College. The Cougars improve to 4-2-0 (4-1-0 UMAC) on the season.

In a fast-paced match with chances on both sides, the play of Bernadette Cienik in between the posts was vital for Minnesota Morris. Cienik registered her second clean sheet of the season and made six saves on the night.

The Cougars had a 12-7 edge in shots in the first half and Bethany Lutheran keeper Brooke Wolanin was forced into eight saves to keep UMN Morris off the board. Two saves that Wolanin didn't make were midway through the opening 45 minutes when Caroline O'Donnell first hit the post and the follow-up shot from Monica Calderon bounced off the crossbar within 10 seconds of one another. That near miss defined the first half for Minnesota Morris as the teams went to the break at 0-0.

Wolanin continued to deny Minnesota Morris early on in the second half, making two saves on Calderon and one on Sam Tate before a Bethany Lutheran handball in the 18-yard box in the 60th minute set Tate up with a penalty kick which she slotted home to put the Cougars ahead, 1-0. A second goal came in the 68th minute with Harper Toward and Sam Tate moving the ball out of midfield and giving Calderon space to operate at the top of the box before she powered a shot past Wolanin to double the lead. 

Bethany Lutheran pressed forward late in the match looking for a way back in it, but Cienik was a wall in goal and denied a couple of golden opportunities for the Vikings to preserve the shutout victory for Minnesota Morris. 

Calderon ended the match with seven shot attempts, five on goal. Tate had five shots, four of which were on frame. Hannah Pedderson added four shots, two on goal.

Minnesota Morris returns to action on Wednesday night with a 7:30 p.m. kickoff in St. Bonifacius against Crown College.