HIRAM, Ohio --  The Mount Union women's soccer team picked up its second win of the season on Friday night, defeating Hiram on the road, 4-2.

The Purple Raiders got on the board first thanks to a tremendous effort by senior Jackie Lowdermilk (Wadsworth/Wadsworth), who scored her first goal of the season by sneaking a shot into the net after colliding with Hiram goalkeeper Kailie Reed.  Lowdermilk's goal was the first time the Raiders scored in the first half this season.  The games against Denison and Kenyon last weekend both went into halftime with a scoreless tie.

Sophomore midfielder Ashley Sams (Alliance/St. Thomas Aquinas) then gave Mount Union a two-goal lead, connecting from long distance for her fourth career goal and first of 2012.

The Raiders held its 2-0 lead heading into halftime.  But as the second half began, so too did the inclement weather.  Mount Union and Hiram sat through a lightning delay that lasted nearly two hours before the two teams took the field again.

When play resumed, Shannon Evans (Newbury/Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin), who was named Ohio Athletic Conference Player of the Week on Monday, scored her team-leading fourth goal of the season to extend the Mount Union lead to 3-0.

With just over 20 minutes to play, Hiram cut into the Mount Union lead.  Senior Breann Mason took a free kick for the Terriers and rifled a shot past the outstretched arms of Raider goalie Maria Favorite (Chesterland/Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin), who posted 16 saves last weekend.

But the Raiders got the goal right back just moments later.  Sophomore defender Jessica Finkler (Brunswick/Holy Name) carried the ball down the right side of the field and crossed the ball in front of the goal, where fellow sophomore Amanda Tamerlano (North Royalton/North Royalton) headed the ball past Reed to make it a 4-1 match.  The header was the first collegiate goal for Tamerlano, who is the fifth different Raider to score in 2012.

The feisty Terriers would not go down without a fight, however.  With just under four minutes to go, Mason sent yet another Hiram free kick into the net to cut the Mount Union lead to two (4-2).

Hiram failed to score again, though, and the Raiders (2-1) picked up its second win of the season.  Hiram, which has now allowed at least three goals in three of its first four games this year, fell to 1-3 with the loss.  The Terriers are 0-2 against OAC teams this year; they lost to Otterbein 3-0 on Sept. 5.

Mount Union plays Oberlin tomorrow at 7 p.m. in Oberlin, Ohio.  Tomorrow night's match is the final leg of a four-game road trip to open the 2012 campaign.  The Raiders' home opener is on Wednesday night (Sept. 12) against Penn State-Behrend.

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