MILLERSVILLE, Pa. – The offensive onslaught by the No. 16-ranked Millersville women's soccer team in Saturday's 4-0 win over Shepherd University caused a 32-5 shot disparity in favor of the Marauders. The team also held a 10-2 advantage in corner kicks and possessed the ball for 63 percent of the game. The Ville's defense denied Shepherd a goal and kept a clean sheet for the 10th time in 2019.

Kay Liebl followed up her hat trick on Wednesday against Mansfield University with two second half goals while freshmen Kylie Sullivan and Morgan Winchock each scored in the first half.
 
The victory improves Millersville's record to 13-2-1 (11-2-1 PSAC) in 2019 and maintains its second place position in the PSAC East standings, five points behind first-place Bloomsburg. The Marauders have 34 total points, one more than third-place East Stroudsburg and three more than fourth-place West Chester. The Marauders are just one win shy of equaling last year's program-record tying total of 14.

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
• The Marauders looked bright from the opening kick. Michelle Belcher created two great chances in the 3^rd minute, the first from driving forward into the left side of the box and launching a shot. Shepherd goalie Lulu Fricks made a great diving save to her left to deny what would have been a sure goal. Just seconds later, the same situation occurred, with Belcher smashing another shot to force a full-stretch dive from Fricks.
• Millersville kept up the pressure and earned a corner kick in the 4^th minute from the near side. Kay Liebl trotted over to the corner flag and whipped in the left-footed cross to the near post. The ball bounced off multiple players, Millersville and Shepherd alike, until Kylie Sullivan was finally able to direct it in to open the scoring for the Black and Gold.
• Lauren Downey was a problem for the Shepherd defense all game long. In the 14^th minute she surged forward into the box and sent the ball screaming toward towards the left side of the goal. Frick again came to the rescue for the Rams, diving to her right to deny Downey a goal.
• The Marauders would strike again in the 37^th minute, when Kay Liebl held the ball up in the left side of the box, shielding the ball from multiple defenders until she spied Morgan Winchock arriving and laid the ball off for her at the top of the box. Winchock followed through with one of her trademark powerful shots that deflected off a defender and snuck inside the near post to give her team the 2-0 lead.
• The second half belonged again to Kay Liebl and Lauren Downey.  Downey sent a beautiful ball from the defensive third of the field ahead for Liebl to run onto. Liebl sprinted behind the Shepherd defense and finished into the top right corner for a three-goal lead.
• The Marauders defenders again exploited the Rams defense with Liebl's speed and ability to get behind defenders in the 69^th minute, when Haley Peachey sent the ball down the right channel that found Liebl's feet. This time Fricks tried to come off her line to shut down the angle for the shot, but Liebl toe-poked it in quickly to make it 4-0.


POST GAME REACTION FROM HEAD COACH MATT PROCOPIO
• On today's performance: "I think we played well. We discussed trying to continue to get forward and put them under pressure. Created a lot of chances and it's a good result moving into a tough week. We've got to continue to progress and play off of this performance."

• On the growth of the team from September to now: "I definitely think we've progressed and continued to move forward. Obviously there's always challenges within a season so we have had to grow and adapt. We've made some changes to some things and had some unfortunate injuries at times so we've had to adjust and go. I do think we're better and sharper than we were at the start but we've got to continue to be sharp and progress as we get into playoff time."

• On Lauren Downey's performance: "She's in a bit of a different role right now, but she got forward and was able to get behind the defense and cause lots of problems. Great assist and created lots of opportunities and chances. I thought she played tremendous. Put in some great services and had some great passes, great off the dribble running at people as well. Just looking for her to continue to keep playing well like that."

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• Millersville out-shot Shepherd 32-5 (the third-highest shot total of 2019.)
• Michelle Belcher led the Marauders in shots with seven. Kay Liebl, Lauren Downey and Morgan Winchock each fired six shots and Cassie Blyth let three shots fly.
• Kylie Sullivan's goal was her second of the season while Winchock's was her sixth. Liebl's brace now gives her a team-high ten total goals this fall.
• Downey's and Haley Peachey's assists were both their second of 2019.
• Freshman goalkeeper Reagan Kolinski was credited with five saves in the game while Lulu Fricks made a critical 11 saves for Shepherd University.

NOTES
• With the win, Millersville's all-time record versus Shepherd improves to 6-1, including four consecutive wins.
• Kay Liebl has scored five goals in her last two games.
• Today's clean sheet was Millersville's tenth of the season. The program record for shutouts in a season is 12, set in the year 2002.
• Only two games remain in the regular season. Millersville has already clinched a PSAC playoff berth.

UP NEXT
• The Marauders host East Stroudsburg University on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 5:00 p.m. The Marauders defeated the Warriors 1-0 back on Oct. 9.