Wyoming senior Sydney Jones battles a Fresno State player for the ball during an Oct. 6 home game. Jones scored the only goal during Friday’s home game against Air Force.
Uncooperative weather couldn’t stop the University of Wyoming’s women’s soccer team from taking down the Air Force Falcons on Friday afternoon in its final game of the season with a score of 1-0. The win bumped up the Cowgirls’ overall record to 8-8-2 and their Mountain West record to 1-5-1 while the Falcons fell to 5-9-3 overall and 0-7-0 in the conference.
About 200 people filled the seats in the indoor practice facility, a majority of them Poke fans. Cowgirls Carmen Blume, Jenny Johnson, Sydney Jones, Ashlyn Mazur, Courtney Merkle, Amy Sarandopoulos and Cassie Sheffield garnered attention for Senior Day. Tallying a win was a great way to end the seniors’ careers as they all had an impressive day of playing.
“It was a good way to finish the year with a victory and send the seniors out with a win,” said UW head coach Pete Cuadrado. “I’m proud of how the team played in their final game and pleased with their effort to finish strong. We look forward to the offseason to prepare for next year and continue the success of Cowgirl soccer.”
Jones scored the only point in the game when she headed the ball in after a corner kick from Liz O’Reilly. The score came early in the first half, and the Falcons just could not match the tough defense brought on by the Cowgirls. According to reports from Wyoming Athletics, the goal also was UW’s 30th for the year, breaking the Cowgirl soccer all-time mark for goals during a regular season. Sara Paul, Mollee Ramsay and Jones each had two shots in the game, while O’Reilly, Loren Mahoney, Olivia Mohtadi, Lucie McDowell and Blume tallied one each.
O’Reilly’s assist against Air Force was her seventh of the year, which ties for third-best on the all-time amount in a single season. UW’s goalie Courtney Merkle earned two saves in the game and recorded her second shutout of the year. It also was the 16th of her career and it improved her overall record to 4-6-2 for the season.
The team had a successful season considering its transition from former head coach Danny Sanchez to Cuadrado. The team is looking to continue improving as it moves into its next season.
“This senior class has helped build a proud Wyoming Soccer tradition, and their contributions to the team have been huge during their time with the program,” Cuadrado said. “I’m grateful for their hard work during my first season and the leadership they provided for their teammates.”
