UWF defeats Mount Olive 2-0, sweeps weekend road trip

September 3, 2012

Palmer and Monteith score first goals of season in shutout victory

Daniela Cruz led a strong Argo defense to a 2-0 victory over Mount Olive in her first game with UWF this season. (Photo by Jim Hogue)

DAHLONEGA, Ga. – The West Florida women’s soccer team was able to grind through muggy weather and a stingy Mount Olive defense on its way to a 2-0 victory over the Trojans on Monday afternoon at the North Georgia soccer fields.

The Argonauts outshot the Trojans 26-7 and had 13 corner kicks to Mount Olive’s one, but could only make two shots count in the final game of the season-opening road trip.

“Some games are pretty, and some games you have to grind,” said West Florida coach Joe Bartlinski after the game. “Today we had to grind. Mount Olive made us work.”

After the Argos attemped six shots and nine corners in the first 38 minutes of the game, transfer Chelsea Palmer (Plano, Texas/Tyler JC) took things into her own hands.

Palmer worked past two Trojan defenders five yards away from the corner of the box before launching a shot from 25 yards away from the goal. The ball traveled over the heads of the Trojan defense, the UWF offense and a diving keeper into the back corner of the net at the 38:41 mark and was the first goal of Palmer’s UWF career.

The Argo starters continued to threaten for the next 24 minutes, but it was the fresh legs of Shanice Monteith (George Town, Cayman Islands/Gray HS) who made one count with the help of Sashana Campbell (Manchester, Jamaica/Darton) less than three minutes after Monteith checked into the game.

Campbell served a ball from Mount Olive territory to Monteith who had worked into position in the box to score easily past a diving Trojan keeper.

Monteith was the sixth different Argo to score this season in the first two games. The team’s leading scorer, Shelby Bush (Shalimar, Fla./Darton), led the team with five shots, four on goal, in 76 minutes of play.

Keeper Sarah Story (Hoover, Ala./Darton) recorded her first shutout as an Argo in just her second chance, recoding five saves on the day. She was assisted by strong play from 2011 All-GSC First Team selection Daniela Cruz (San Jose, Costa Rica/University of Costa Rice) who joined the team after missing the Argos’ first game of the season while playing with the Costa Rica national team in Rochester, N.Y.

“Now we head home and get back to work for the rest of the season,” Bartlinski said.

The Argos host No. 24 Rollins in their home opener Friday at 5 p.m.

For information on all UWF athletics, visit www.GoArgos.com.

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Soccer Game Summary (Final)
West Florida Women's Soccer
Mount Olive vs West Florida (09/03/12 at Dahlonega, GA)

Mount Olive (0-3) vs. West Florida (2-0)
Date: 09/03/12 Attendance: 65
Weather: Overcast, muggy

Goals by period 1 2 Tot
-------------------------------
Mount Olive......... 0 0 - 0
West Florida........ 1 1 - 2

SCORING SUMMARY:
1. 38:41 UWF Chelsea Palmer (unassisted) - Played ball from left side of box to upper corner and shot into goal
2. 62:23 UWF Shanice Monteith (Sashana Campbell) - 11 headed ball into box, 7 one touch into goal

Shots: Mount Olive 7, West Florida 26
Saves: Mount Olive 15 (Carolin Edenhofner 12; TEAM 3), West Florida 5
(Sarah Story 5)