Council Bluffs, IA – The Reivers wore pink Wednesday night to support breast cancer awareness. Iowa Western won their match against Northeast 1-0 under the lights at Lewis Central High School.
HOW IT HAPPENED: Recently, the Reivers have found their rhythm, winning the last six games in a row. The Reivers were anxious to get back onto the pitch after 11 days off from match play. Iowa Western controlled the game tempo of the game from the first whistle. The team set the pace, dictated the direction the ball moved, and created multiple opportunities on goal. Sophomore midfielder Daniela Cardona and freshman midfielder Laura Chavez, challenged the Hawks goalkeeper with shots from distance. Sophomore defenders Kate Reddish and Sofia Colvin also mixed it up with threatening crosses into the box. The Reivers not only shut down any opportunity on goal, they shut nearly any chance of crossing the halfway mark. By the end of the half, Iowa Western lead the shot count 11 to 0.
The Hawks had the kickoff, but the second half started the same as the first. Iowa Western dominated the field, stealing the possession back and making their way to goal. The Reivers began taking more direct chances, slipping balls through the Northeast defense. In the 67th minute, Chavez split Northeast's backline to set up freshman midfielder Anyeli Solarte. One-on-one with the goalkeeper, Solarte struck the ball from the left side of the goal for a far-post finish. The Hawks began to play more anxious for any chance on goal, but the Reivers defense (Colvin, freshman Veronica Herrera, sophomore Alex Allgaier, Reddish) and holding midfielder Abby Hall held them off. By the end of the game, Northeast was defeated with 0 shots on goal to Iowa Western's 25 shots. The Reivers walked away with the 1-0 victory, which is the seventh straight win for the team.
NOTES & NUMBERS: Anyeli Solarte scored the winning goal with an assist from Laura Chavez at 67:00.
QUOTES: Head Coach Adam Sanchez
"I felt the that the team performance was one of our best all season. It was as dominant as we played all year and we continue to improve day to day, so that's exciting. At this time of year, it is critical that we get maximum points from each game and tonight we did just that. We also secured home field for the Region XI Semifinal as well as earned a first round bye. Tonight was great progress toward our goals, but we also know that this group is capable of playing even better."
UP NEXT: The Reivers go head-to-head with Scott on Saturday, October 14th at 1:00PM CST in Bettendorf, Iowa. On Wednesday, October 18th, Iowa Western will play Iowa Lakes at 1:00PM CST in Spencer, Iowa. On Thursday, October 19th, the Reivers will head down to Kansas City to play St. Charles at 5:00PM CST. For details and match updates, please follow Iowa Western Women's Soccer on Twitter @ReiverWSoccer.
