Sccheele, Tigers Blank Drexel

September 20, 2013

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Sophomore goalkeeper Kate Scheele showed on Friday that she is a two-way weapon for Colorado College.

Not only did Scheele record her third consecutive shutout, but she also set up a tally by classmate Sarah Schweiss midway through the second half that helped the Tigers clinch a 3-0 victory over Drexel University at Stewart Field.

With its third consecutive triumph and fifth in the last six matches, CC improved to 5-3 overall heading into next week's Conference USA openers at East Carolina Univeristy and Middle Tennessee State.

"We defeated a very good Drexel team," said head coach Geoff Bennett. "They weren't 13-3-0 (last season) and the Colonial Athletic Association champions by accident. They are well coached and very athletic ... 3-0 was not reflective of how close that game was played. We diffused a couple of situations and took advantage of the opportunities we had."

The visiting Dragons dropped to 3-4-1.

Scheele needed to make only two saves while posting her fourth whitewashing of the campaign and ninth of her collegiate career. Her toughest stop came with 13:54 remaining in the game when she prevented an own goal off a ball that went off the head of one of her own defenders.

Earlier in the second half, after a foul was whistled against Drexel in the Tigers' end of the field, Scheele played a long ball off the ground that sailed and finally took a high bounce toward the Dragons net. Schweiss got to it first and was able to chip it up and over keeper Eve Badana for her team-leading fourth goal of the season.

"It was a great win going into our Conference USA schedule," Scheele said. "We beat a top 100 team, so that will give us a lot of confidence going forward."

Junior midfielder Jessie Ayers gave Scheele all the cushion she would need early in the match, staking Colorado College to a 1-0 lead just 1:40 after the opening whistle. Kaeli Vandersluis set up the goal with a cross from the right edge of the box that Ayers was able to convert from five yards in front of the near post. She now has scored the game winner in three of CC's five victories this season.

Sophomore forward Carina Lauzon came off the bench to notch her first career goal and ice the victory with 4:54 left in the contest. Senior defender Sarah Haizlip picked up the assist.

Senior defender Shaina Riciputi, who collected her first career point with an assist against Ball State a week ago, just missed scoring a goal moments before Schweiss put the Tigers up 2-0. Riciputi's header near the left post had eyes for the back of the net, but Badana got a hand on the ball to tip it wide.

CC finished with a 15-7 advantage in total shots, with Badana steering away six of the nine that were on target.

Schweiss has collected a point in five consecutive outings.