DES MOINES, Iowa - Western Illinois (4-1) was looking to extend its winning streak to three games on Sunday afternoon against the Drake Bulldogs (2-3-1). The Purple & Gold did just that with a goal in the 87th minute from Katie Condon.
Trisha Quinn again was the key as she was credited with the assist, her second of the season, off of her corner kick and gave the Leathernecks a 1-0 victory.
Head Coach Tony Guinn discussed the skill that Quinn displays on her corner kicks.
"It is a scary ball because it goes beyond the far post," said Guinn" It is high, driven and it's spinning."
"It is a hard ball to deal with as a defender and as a goalkeeper," continued Guinn. It is coming into the box with so much velocity that it goes over your head and before you know it, it's in the back of the net. It is pretty phenomenal"
Coach Guinn also is pleased with the play of Condon.
"Katie Condon is just a tough player and she will score any way she can," stated Guinn
The first half was played with just four shots for Western, one of those was on goal. Drake also took four shots, with two of them being on goal forcing Victoria Kappel to make the saves.
Condon collected her second goal of the season with under five minutes remaining in the match. Quinn was crucial in Friday's victory over SIUE with her extremely accurate corner kicks. During that match, Quinn assisted on a goal with a corner kick and scored one of her own, again from her own set piece.
"We had a lot of great chances in the second half because of the corner kicks and we had Kristin Becker taking all of the throws," stated Guinn. "She would throw it in the final third and those were like corners. Drake had to deal with a lot of dead balls in the final 20 minutes."
The Purple & Gold continue one of the best starts in program history with the win over the Bulldogs. Guinn pointed out some of the traits that are leading to the team's success.
"They are very disciplined," said Guinn. They have a great work ethic and are really talented in one-on-one defending. They are extremely opportunistic, that is the main thing about this team."
Kappel collects her third shutout and fourth victory, she collected three saves on Sunday including a save in the 88th minute to preserve the win.
"She had a good game again," finished Guinn. She is a smart player."
An in-state battle at Eastern Illinois will be next for the Leathernecks on Friday at 4 p.m.
Goal Summary
Western Illinois
86:52 - Katie Condon finishes a Trisha Quinn corner kick.
