The University of Redlands women's soccer team took control early and never looked back in a 4-1 non-conference victory at home against Johnson & Wales University (CO) on Sunday. Junior midfielder Eva Vlassopoulos (Portland, OR) starred for the Bulldogs by notching two second-half goals in the win.
The Bulldogs saw an early opportunity in the 13th minute when senior forward Alexa Groesser (Denver, CO) launched a shot that hit the crossbar. Sophomore midfielder Tristen Sherley (Novato, CA) corralled the rebound and took a shot, but JWU's defense blocked the attempt.
Redlands continued as the aggressor, which paid off in the 30th minute when first-year defender Taylor Pisan (Redmond, WA) scored the first goal of her career to put the Maroon and Gray up, 1-0. Sophomore midfielder Charlie Baum (Hesperia, CA) pushed the ball forward to Pisan in space, who took two touches and ripped the ball into the back of the net.
In the 43rd minute, senior forward Bryn Anderson (Tahoe City, CA) hustled to chase a ball to the baseline and played it back to first-year midfielder Peyton Fendrich (Happy Valley, OR). Fendrich controlled the ball and beat the Wildcats' goalkeeper with a shot to the far post, which gave the Bulldogs a 2-0 advantage heading into halftime.
The Maroon and Gray's persistence resumed in the second half with three shot attempts in the first 10 minutes. The fourth shot from Vlassopoulos from inside the box and resulted in the Bulldogs' third goal of the game for a commanding lead.
On the ensuing possession, JWU worked the ball through Redlands' defense for the goal to cut its deficit to 1-3. About two minutes later, Vlassopoulos responded for the Bulldogs by ripping a shot from about 15 feet out for a near-post goal at the top of the net, which pushed the home team's lead to 4-1.
The Maroon and Gray defense only relinquished one more shot, which came in the final minute, but sophomore goalkeeper Kennedy Kerr (Bellevue, WA) was there to make the save.
Overall, Kerr joined forces with senior goalkeeper Brittany Dinkins (Renton, WA) and sophomore goalkeeper Natalie Hubacz (Grass Valley, CA) in a multi-faceted effort in front of the net. For the game, Redlands' defense only allowed three shots, resulting in a 24-3 shot differential. The Bulldogs also held an 8-1 corner-kick advantage.
Redlands (2-0-0) continues its four-game home stretch on Friday, September 6, against Willamette University (OR) at 7 p.m.
