Box Score EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – SIUE women's soccer notched its first Ohio Valley Conference win in a 1-0 victory over Belmont.
The Cougars improve to 4-6-3 and 1-2-1 in OVC play. The Bruins fall to 2-9-1 overall and 1-3 in the conference.
"The bottom line was being about to put the ball in the back of the net," said Head Coach Derek Burton. "We didn't start as well as we would have liked, but we got the result and that's what matters this time of year."
After a back-and-forth first half, Cougar freshman Courtney Benning netted the ball for her first goal of the season in the 35th minute. Midfielder Cassidy Sherman gained control of the ball before tapping it to Alexandra Johnson, who pushed the ball through to Benning inside the circle.
The Cougars maintained the 1-0 lead going into the half and never looked back. The shutout marks the seventh of the season for SIUE and the 28th career shutout for Jennifer Pelley, who continues to add to her career shutout record.
"Defensively, we've been really sound all year," said Burton. "That's been a foundation we've been building on since the beginning of the year."
Benning led the offensive attack for the Cougars with four shots to complement her goal. SIUE tallied 15 shots to Belmont's 10, marking the sixth consecutive game that the Cougars have outshot their opponent.
Pelley made six saves on the game to earn the shutout.
SIUE continues its home stand with a Friday night match-up against Morehead State at Korte Stadium. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
