Cowgirl Soccer Opens Year With 4-3 Win

The University of Wyoming women's soccer team opened its 2013 campaign with a 4-3 victory against TCU on Friday. It was the Cowgirls first season opening win since a 2-1 decision against Western Carolina in 2007. The contest was the first for both teams as they started the new season at the Montana Kickoff Invitational.

Senior midfielder Liz O'Reilly recorded what proved to be the game winning goal and her first of the season with a score in the 76th minute from 20 yards out, which gave the Cowgirls a 4-3 lead and eventually the decision. "We showed a lot of resilience in a game that required four goals to win, which is definitely is a good thing to see," said head coach Pete Cuadrado. TCU outshot Wyoming 12-7 and held a 10-1 advantage in corner kicks, but the Cowgirls were able to come out on top. Senior forward Lucie McDowell and junior forward Sara Paul each recorded a goal off two shots a piece for the Cowgirls as sophomore midfielder Mollee Ramsay also recorded her first goal of the season. Paul and senior forward Olivia Mohtadi each recorded an assist for UW.

Both teams came out swinging early in the first half as they each took aim at getting an early lead, but TCU struck first at the seven minute mark from freshman forward Michelle Prokof off a kick that went just left of Wyoming's goalkeeper, junior Alex Boehm. In the ninth minute, UW's Mohtadi sent a cross to Paul, who found the back of the net for the first time this season from seven yards out to even the score at one. Later in the first half, in the 23rd minute, Cowgirl Ramsay gave Wyoming a 2-1 lead with a shot from 12 yards out. Then TCU's sophomore defender Bobbi Clemmer evened the score at two with a corner kick directly in the goal in the 38th minute.

After the first half finished with the score knotted at two a piece, the Horned Frogs took an early second half lead with a score by sophomore midfielder Mackenzie Koch in the 46th minute. Wyoming's defense was then able to hold strong for the rest of the match. Not until the 75th minute did UW get back on the board as McDowell headed the ball past TCU's junior goalkeeper, Vittoria Arnold off of Paul's corner kick. O'Reilly's unassisted free kick then gave UW the lead for good.

"To start the season off on the right note and anytime you beat the Big 12 runners up from a year ago, it's a great win." Wyoming returns to the pitch on Sunday, to play the University of Montana. Game time in Missoula is set for 1 p.m. MT