DES MOINES, Iowa — The Western Illinois women's soccer team battled Drake through the opening half before the Bulldogs pulled away in the second half, earning a 5-0 victory over the Leathernecks.
Western Illinois goalkeeper Mahee-Lee Caron kept the Leathernecks within striking distance throughout the opening half, making five saves before halftime. Drake opened the scoring in the 30th minute when Isabella Balsley found the back of the net off an assist from Zoey Mahoney, giving the Bulldogs a 1-0 advantage heading into the break.
The Leathernecks continued to compete early in the second half, but Drake doubled its lead in the 61st minute when Alanna Pennington scored with assists from Balsley and Ava Hall.
Western Illinois turned to Lillian Johns in goal in the 66th minute, and the Leathernecks continued to battle defensively. Johns made four saves over the remainder of the contest, including stops on shots from Angela Gutierrez, Trelyn White, Alma Beaton and Delaney O'Doherty.
Drake added three goals in a span of just over two minutes late in the match. White scored in the 78th minute, followed by a goal from Alexa Aylward less than a minute later. Gutierrez capped the scoring in the 80th minute to give the Bulldogs the 5-0 final.
Despite the result, Western Illinois continued to gain valuable experience against a strong Drake side. The Leathernecks will look to carry that experience into their next contest as they continue through the early portion of the season.
The Leathernecks will return home on Sunday when they face Northern Iowa at 2 P.M.
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