WKU beats MTSU 3-0 led by Katie Erwin’s two goals

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) - The WKU Soccer Team (2-2-5, 1-0-0 CUSA) got off to a hot start to Conference USA play on Thursday night with a 3-0 victory over rival Middle Tennessee (3-5-1, 0-1-0) at the WKU Soccer Complex.

“This was a collective effort tonight,” said head coach Jason Neidell. “This was a great team effort. We’ve been kind of waiting for our team to click and tonight we clicked. It was really great to see as a coach and I know our student-athletes really enjoyed playing for each other tonight.”

Katie Erwin scored two of WKU’s goals and Olivia Cooke scored the third on a penalty kick. Erwin’s season goal total is up to four with the brace and her career total is up to 14 goals. It was Cooke’s first goal at WKU and the second goal of her collegiate career.

The Lady Toppers improve to 7-0-4 against Middle Tennessee all-time in matches played in Bowling Green and 4-0-1 against the Blue Raiders in the last five matches in the series.

Erwin’s first goal came in the 12th minute when Sydney Ernst sent a cross into the back corner of the box, finding Erwin who sent it to the back of the net. Goal two came in the 28th minute when Cooke sent ball across the box to Erwin once again. Then in the 35th minute, Middle Tennessee fouled in the box on a WKU corner kick and a penalty kick was awarded to the Lady Toppers. Olivia Cooke, who was fouled, took the PK and scored.

It was the fifth shut out of the season for WKU and the fifth clean sheet of the year for goalkeeper Maddie Davis. The Lady Toppers held the Blue Raiders to zero shots in the first half and just three shots in the second half.

WKU will have an extended break with the next game being on Sunday, Sept. 24 at Jacksonville State at 1 p.m.

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