HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Maria Stephans netted her fifth goal of the season and Mallory Geurts made four saves to record the shutout as the Milwaukee women's soccer team defeated Northern Kentucky University, 1-0, Saturday night at NKU Soccer Stadium.
 
The Panthers (6-3-2, 2-0-0 Horizon League) battled the Norse (5-5-0, 1-1 Horizon League) tough all night, finally finding the back of the net in the 75^th minute to record the important road conference win.
 
Stephans provided the difference-maker at the 74:24 mark, inching in her fifth of the year off the goalkeeper's hands. It's actually the second time this season that Stephans has scored directly off a corner kick, with the ball going through the hands and falling over the goal line before getting kicked back out.
 
"It's always good to get a victory on the road," UWM head coach Troy Fabiano said. "I felt that the team played very consistently the entire game and that we were able to stick to the game plan."
 
That game plan helped Milwaukee finish with a 16-to-8 advantage in shots for the night, as well as the higher percentage of possession.
 
The Panthers looked to have finally dented the scoreboard in the 70^th minute, but Sydney Senn's left-footed effort from about 20 yards straightaway found the underneath of the crossbar and somehow stayed out, and the follow-up by Jen Eberhardy was impressively saved.
 
Milwaukee ended up facing NKU's backup keeper, following a 26^th-minute collision between Emily Lohmann and Anna Smalley that ended Lohmann's night. The Panthers tested Brooke Schocker with a handful of quality chances the rest of the way, with Callie O'Donnell, Senn and Eberhardy combining to force five saves.
 
In addition to the shot advantage, UWM held the slim 6-to-4 edge in shots on target, 10-1 in corner kicks and was whistled for eight of the 11 fouls.
 
The shutout was the fourth of the season for the team and the second complete clean sheet for Geurts. McKaela Schmelzer ended up pacing the offense with four shots, with Senn ending the evening with three.
 
Up next for the Panthers, another important league game on the road, heading to Indiana to face Valparaiso Wednesday. Start time for the matchup with the Crusaders is 7:30 p.m.

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