Kansas City, Mo. – A barrage of three first-half goals in the first 22 minutes allowed the South Dakota Coyotes to split the weekend series with Kansas City by a score of 5-0 on Sunday afternoon at Durwood Soccer Stadium. The shutout win gives the USD (1-1) their first win of the season.
"I was happy to see how the group responded to the adversity of Friday's outcome," head coach
Michael Thomas said. "It was a collective effort they should be proud of."
After losing in the final minutes to Kansas City (2-3, 2-2 Summit) on Friday, USD came out of the gates firing on Sunday. The Yotes' first goal came roughly a minute and 23 seconds into the game as freshman
Taylor Ravelo headed one in past the goalkeeper off a corner kick by junior
Taylor Cotter. It was Ravelo's first career goal and the fourth fastest goal from the whistle in program history.
In the 11
th minute,
Jordan Centineo received a ball in Roos territory and then found an open
Shaylee Gailus who dished it to
Alexis Mitchell for the strike to give the Yotes the 2-0 lead early. Less than 10 minutes later in the 22
nd minute Cotter once again placed a beautiful ball in the box off a corner kick which found Gailus' head to give USD a commanding 3-0 lead at the half. The goal was Gailus' first of the season and of her career.
In 52
nd minute, the Roos threatened with two shots, one of was saved by redshirt-junior
Emma Harkleroad and the other sailed high. A few minutes later, Harkleroad again foiled a Roos attempt to gain some momentum and get on the scoreboard.
Senior
Maddison Sullivan received a ball and was able to get past the KC defense and was able to get the goalkeeper to commit to her when she passed it off to a streaking Mitchell for the Yotes fourth goal of the game. Mitchell earned her second goal of the game and ninth of her career.
In the closing seconds of the game, redshirt-freshman
Isabelle Sorge attacked from the left side and sent over a ball to the far side of the box where freshman Hattie Gibblin knocked one in for her first career goal.
South Dakota outshot the Roos for the second straight game with 13 shots to KC's six shots. Six of those shots were on goal for the Yotes. USD also recorded six assists and had seven corner attempts compared to the Roos four. Harkleroad earns her second career shutout.
The Yotes are back in action at Denver on Friday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at noon.
