Ottawa, Kan.— Yaneila Romanlopez converted a late penalty kick to give the University of Saint Mary a chance, but Gatehouse's 75th-minute goal proved decisive as Ottawa defeated the Spires 2-1 in opening day of KCAC play this afternoon, Wednesday, Sept. 16 at Dick Peters Sports Complex.

Ottawa applied pressure throughout the opening half, finishing the first 45 minutes with an 8-0 advantage in shots. USM goalkeeper Bre'Ella DeMaranville kept the match scoreless with an early save on Hack at 5:02 and made four saves before halftime. The Braves broke through at 33:11 when Martin knocked Ringer's corner kick into the net at the back post. DeMaranville later stopped Donohue at 40:30 to keep the Spires within 1-0 at the break.

Saint Mary's attack found more space after halftime and produced all five of its shots over the final 45 minutes. Litzy Mendoza generated the Spires' first attempt at 50:20, sending a shot wide right. Avi Garrett followed with the Spires first shot on goal at 63:49, directing an attempt toward the bottom-left corner before Ottawa's defense kept it out. Mendoza finished with a team-high three shots.

The Braves doubled their lead at 74:22 after forcing a turnover in midfield. Quijada carried the attack forward and delivered a pass to Gatehouse, who finished at the far post for the eventual game-winning goal. DeMaranville continued to hold Ottawa in check, making her seventh save on Quijada's top-right attempt at 82:45.

Romanlopez cut the deficit to 2-1 at 84:12, placing a penalty kick into the top-right corner for Saint Mary's lone goal. Ottawa protected the one-goal advantage through the final whistle. The Braves finished with a 12-5 edge in shots, a 9-2 advantage in shots on goal and a 4-1 margin in corner kicks, while DeMaranville completed the match with seven saves over 90 minutes.
 
Coming Up…

USM will regroup and hit the road this Saturday, September 19^th to Hillsboro, Kansas to take on the Tabor College Bluejays. Saturday's match is slated for 1:00 p.m.