Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
SMU
Bulldogs Tame Mustangs
10/16/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Oct. 15, 1999
Fresno - For the third time in nine games the Fresno State women?s soccer squad walked off the field victorious over a top-15 team. Friday night it was #10 Southern Methodist, who marched into Bulldog Stadium with early control over the WAC at stake, but walked out after a 1-3 defeat handed by the Bulldogs.
Morgan Oliveira came up big in the match-up with the Mustangs scoring twice, including the game winner in the 59th minute of action. Oliveira drew blood first when she found net off of Fresno State?s first penalty kick of the season in the first half.
SMU quickly answered the Bulldogs? opening goal with one of its own shortly after a caution was given to Bulldog Andrea Morelock. Ashley Potthoff struck for the Mustangs in the 41st minute.
Tied at the half, Oliveira?s game-winning goal came in the opening minutes of the second period. Set up off a corner kick from Jill Pearson, Oliveira headed the ball into Mustang keeper Becca Lief?s hands. Leif was behind the goal line and the side judge?s flag went up signaling goal for Fresno State.
The Bulldogs? lowered the hammer in the game?s closing minutes when Corrine Atkins put all hope for a SMU comeback to rest. Atkins found net on an empty goal with just more than three minutes remaining to give Fresno State a 3-1 victory margin.
Oliveira has a history of inflicting her wrath upon the Bulldogs? top-flight competition. The Lemoore native has recorded goals versus all three of the top-15 squads Fresno State has taken down this fall with the game winners versus #13 James Madison and #10 Southern Methodist. Oliveira found net to open the win over #7 Southern Cal and assisted Jill Pearson with her winning goal.
Head Coach Peter Reynaud had reported this was not a must win for his Bulldogs, but later expressed the importance of the victory over #10 Southern Mathodist. "This certainly puts us in the driver?s seat for the conference tournament," Reynaud said. "But this is just one of the games we needed to get to ensure that we qualify for the WAC [tournament], so then we can get the chance to qualify for the NCAA Championships."
The Bulldogs will see their next action Sunday when they take on the TCU Horned Frogs at noon to lead off a doubleheader with the men?s squad, which plays Drury at 2 p.m.
