Box Score Dubuque, Iowa, August 31, 2014 – Junior forward Olivia Lillegraven scored two goals and the Bears' defense recorded their second-straight shutout as the No. 4-ranked Washington University in St. Louis women's soccer team posted a 2-0 win at No. 22 Loras College Sunday afternoon in Dubuque, Iowa.
Lillegraven, who scored two goals in a game for the second time in her career, scored the game-winner in the 29th minute and added an insurance goal in the 75th minute. She has 16 goals in 45 career games played for the Red and Green.
"We fought really hard today and won the balls in the air and pulled out a team victory," said Lillegraven. "The defense has played strong through the first two games with two shutouts, which has been great."
Washington U. pressured Loras from the opening kickoff, running most of its offense through the middle of the field and senior forward Lillie Toaspern. The 2013 NSCAA third-team All-American had three shots in the opening nine minutes of play, including one that Loras goalkeeper Hannah Wilson just got her fingers on to keep it scoreless.
Toaspern fired a shot from 25 yards out that went off the cross bar at 23:25, and then Wilson made her fifth save of the game at 24:29 on her fifth shot of the first half. Toaspern finished with a team-high six shots.
Washington U. found the back of the net on its 13th shot of the game after senior Tessa Klumpp sent a free kick into the box that Wilson whiffed on a clearance and Lillegraven headed into the back of the net. The Bears had a 15-5 shot advantage in the first half, with seven shots on goal. Wilson had six saves for Loras to keep it a one-goal game.
Neither team had many scoring opportunities early in the second half until Lillegraven made it 2-0 at the 75:09 mark after her shot from the left wing got over the reach of Wilson.
Washington U. outshot Loras 21-8 and had a 7-0 advantage in corner kicks in the win.
Sophomore goalkeeper Lizzy Crist made two saves and picked up her second-straight shutout. The backline of Klumpp, senior Tessa Delaney, Sam Ezratty and sophomore Hannah Rosenberg has allowed just six shots on goal in the first two games.
Washington U. (2-0) concludes a three-game, five-day road trip at Central College on Monday, Sept. 1. Game time is set for 1 p.m. at the A.N. Kuyper Athletics Complex in Pella, Iowa.
Bear Notebook: The Bears have a 17-game unbeaten streak dating back to last season … Washington U. leads the all-time series with Loras, 4-2 … The win for head coach Jim Conlon was his 198th of his women's college coaching career … Conlon is a 1998 graduate of Loras and played four season on the men's soccer team … Washington U. is off to a 2-0 start for the fourth-straight season.
