Carver breaks fastest goal mark as Pack nets 4-0 win

The CSU-Pueblo women's soccer team rebounded from a lackluster draw earlier in the weekend to earn a deserved 4-0 victory over Southwest Minnesota State University on Sunday.

Brittany Carver (Sr., Pueblo, Colo.) set a school record by scoring only 19 seconds into the match.  She drifted a ball in towards the goal from the right wing and watched it slip through the outstretched hands of the SMSU keeper.  

"I wanted to play it wide," she said with a sheepish grin.  "Coach was yelling at me when I hit it, but once it went in he stopped."  Carver said that although it may have been unintentional, she'd take the goal.  "Whatever works!" she said.

The Thunderwolves could have added to that lead at several different points in the first half.  Rikki Warmack (Jr., Pueblo, Colo.) had a crack at goal at the 25 minute mark, and Marli Martin (Sr., West Jordan, Utah) bounced a free kick off the far post two minutes later.  The SMSU squad was able to run a few counter attacks against the CSU-Pueblo women, but their runs never posed much of a serious threat to the Thunderwolf defenders.

The second half saw more attacking savvy from the Thunderwolves.  Melissa Christensen (Fr., Kenosha, Wis.) scored a strange goal when she bounced a corner kick delivery off of the SMSU keeper and into the back of the net in the 48th minute.  Candice Duffy (Jr., Idaho Falls, Idaho) followed that in the 50th minute when she took a feed from Kiley Draper (So., River Falls, Wis.) and scored.  An enthusiastic Janel Barnes (So., Littleton, Colo.) capped the afternoon for the women by scoring a fine goal with a low drive to the far post in the 66th minute.

Carver believes that the team was frustrated by their performance in the last game, and was pleased that her team was able to score some goals and post a shutout.  "Our back line and both of our keepers did a great job today," she said.  The team also took particular delight in acknowledging that all four goal scorers happened to score for the first time ever.  Barnes echoed that sentiment.  "It was pretty exciting to have everyone get their first NCAA goal all at one time."

The women venture to Texas next week where they will face off against Sam Houston State and St. Edward's.  They will be back in action at the Rawlings Soccer Complex against Regis on Sept. 12th.