Box Score
Video Highlights by Tanner Acebo, NU Sports Information
NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The Norwich University women's soccer team scored twice in the second half en route to a 2-0 victory over Johnson State on Sunday afternoon on Sabine Field at Haynes Family Stadium.
Freshmen forwards Tiana Cass (Torrington, Conn.) and Amanda Brux (Dousman, Wis.) each scored to lead the Cadets to the 2014 Norwich Women's Soccer Classic title. NU also improved to 2-0 for the first time since the 2011 season.
Cass broke a scoreless draw in the 70th minute, burying a breakaway into the bottom left corner of the net after sophomore Mehgan McMullen (Northfield, Vt.) sprung her on the break with a perfect through ball pass. The goal was Cass' first collegiate points and McMullen picked up her second assist of the year.
Almost exactly seven minutes later, Brux delivered the dagger with her third goal of the season to put Norwich up 2-0. Similar to Cass' goal, junior Jenna Perkins (Nottingham, N.H.) played a ball to space that Brux ran down on a break. Brux belted a shot that Johnson State goalkeeper Amber McCullock got a piece of with her glove to deflect the ball off the crossbar. However, the ball spun backwards and bounced a couple of times before crossing the goal line prior to any defenders being able to clear it away.
Johnson State (1-1) carried the play for most of the first half; however the Badgers were unable to slip a ball past Norwich freshman goalkeeper Leandra Flores-Nieves (Colorado Springs, Colo.). The Badgers outshot the Cadets 10-3.
Both teams had great chances early on in the second half with Johnson State's best chance coming on Casey Hutchison's low drive from 13 yards out that Flores-Nieves was able to gobble up and not allow a rebound on.
Norwich responded with 31:10 left in the second half when Brux made a pass off the goal line back to Cass, but she rifled the shot just wide to the left.
Flores-Nieves made six saves in her first collegiate start to pick up the victory for Norwich. McCullock made three saves for Johnson State to fall to 1-1.
Norwich travels to Colby-Sawyer on Wednesday, Sept. 3, looking to extend its winning streak to three straight games. The Cadets return home to Sabine Field at Haynes Family Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 6 when it hosts Castleton State at 6 p.m.
-CADETS-
