COLUMBUS, Ind. --- A strong first half from the University of St. Francis women's soccer team propelled the Fighting Saints to a 3-1 victory over Indiana University Columbus on Wednesday afternoon.  USF led 2-0 at the break courtesy of a pair of Ariadne Gonzalez goals.  Zoe Villont added the cherry topper 22 minutes into the second half.  The Saints were denied their third shutout of the season a few minutes later when the Crimson Pride got on the board in the 70th minute to end the scoring on the day.  St. Francis' win improves its overall record to 2-3-2 on the season.

First Half
The Saints started on the attack early in the first half, putting up their first two shots of the afternoon within the initial three minutes of the contest.  After Villont missed high on the first attempt, Gonzalez was able to find the back of the net on the second try in the third minute.  USF continued to press, possessing the ball in IUC's defensive half for the majority of the opening 20 minutes.  The Saints took an additional 10 shots during that time period. Gonzalez would notch her second goal of the afternoon on a successful penalty kick in the 28th minute.  USF kept pressing through the Crimson Pride defense and earned six more shots before the end of the half, holding its 2-0 lead as well as a 19-4 advantage on shot attempts at the intermission.

Second Half
In the second half, the backline of Saint defenders made any Crimson Pride attack difficult, clearing three corner kicks in the first 20 minutes. The Saints continued the offensive pressure into the 67th minute with Villont breaking free to fire a strike past the IUC keeper and extend USF's lead to 3-0 with the insurance goal. The Crimson Pride responded by resetting their approach, sneaking a score past USF keeper Krystal Rodriguez with 20 minutes remaining in the contest to lock in the final score at 3-1.

St. Francis took 31 shots as a team in the win, dominating Indiana University Columbus, which ended the match with just five shots. Gonzalez took a team-high nine shots (eight on target) for USF, adding two goals to her new season total of four.  Mia Ocana produced three shots, while Emily Galvan and Villont each added two.  Villont's goal was her first of the season.  In goal for USF, Rodriguez made two saves, while allowing the one goal.  Kadixamayrin Mireles saw time in the net as well for USF, logging 26 minutes in the St. Francis victory.

Up Next
St. Francis will continue its season on Saturday, September 21, traveling to Palos Heights, Ill. to take on Trinity Christian College in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference opener.  The match is slated to begin at 12 pm.

You can keep up with everything happening around USF Athletics on X @USFSaints.