CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The University of St. Francis women's soccer team posted its first shutout of the season as the defense shined in a 4-0 win over Mount Mercy University (Iowa) on Wednesday afternoon.  The match marked the first time under head coach Al Palar that the USF defense did not allow a single shot on goal throughout the entirety of the match.

First Half 
A strong offensive attack and solid defense saw St. Francis controlling the possession and pinning Mount Mercy into its backfield throughout the majority of the half.  Not even two minutes had elapsed from the opening kickoff before USF midfielder Kelly Flores struck first.  A save from MMU keeper Manuela Gutierrez would halt the try, but the Saints' offense kept carving out looks, putting a high amount of pressure on the Mustang defense.  Flores would again target the goal at the 9:14 and 12:40 marks, but both shots came out to be vetoed by the MMU keeper.  On the ninth USF try, midfielder Mia Perri wound up being in the right place at the right time after a corner kick attempt bounced out of the pack straight to Perri, who was 30 yards out.  The graduate senior would take the opportunity to missile a shot high and into the back right corner of the net to author her second goal of the season.  The successful attempt would break the scoreless tie and allow St. Francis to claim a 1-0 lead.  It was not long after Perri's goal that USF struck again to extend its lead to 2-0.  Junior Andrea Aguirre was able to score off a header on an indirect kick from Flores after the foul by MMU placed the ball 35 yards out at the 37-minute mark.  A great service allowed Aguirre to roll around a defender to find an opening and connect by redirecting the ball into the back left corner of the MMU net.  For the half, St. Francis amassed nine shots compared to Mount Mercy's two.

Second Half       
The Saints kept command over the Mustangs in the early minutes of the second half.  Freshman forward Ariadne Gonzalez came out of the gates hot, targeting the goal on three straight tries between the 47th and 57th minutes.  Her fourth attempt, however, was the one that would succeed as a short pass ahead from teammate Alexis Marroquin allowed Gonzalez to tap in a redirected shot past the diving Gutierrez.  After a number of missed attempts over the next 15 minutes, senior Andrea Villa broadened the Saints' lead to 4-0 as a free kick allowed Perri to serve an assist to Villa's perfectly placed header attempt.  MMU's closest attempt to scoring came n the 51st minute from a header off a corner kick that ricocheted off the post.  The Saints' defense confidently commanded the pitch throughout the closing 45 minutes, allowing just three contested Mustang shots.

Game Notes    

• USF took 21 shots with 10 coming on goal, while MMU had six shots with zero on target. 
• Perri and Gonzalez currently lead the Saints with two goals apiece on the season
• Villa scored her first collegiate goal in Wednesday's match, while Aguirre amassed the fourth of her career  
• With the win, St. Francis extended its all-time lead over the Mustangs to 4-1.  The last time the two schools faced off was back in 2011 with USF capturing a 2-1 victory.

Next Game
St. Francis returns home on Sunday, September 1 for a matchup against St. Thomas University (Fla.) at 1 p.m. at Joliet Memorial Stadium.

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