Point Park women’s soccer traveled to Wheeling, W. Va. on Sunday afternoon for a crucial victory against Wheeling University for the Pioneers’ final road game of the regular season.
The Pioneers went back and forth with the Cardinals for eighty minutes until freshman Rebecca Pihlgren broke the deadlock with 10 minutes remaining in the game to give Point Park a 1-0 win.
“I got the ball from Sterre [Kuijper] and was able to turn,” Pihlgren said following the win. “I saw that I had time and was close to goal so I took the shot.”
The Pioneer defense held tight in the game’s final 10 minutes, not allowing another shot from the Cardinals as they closed out the game.
“We always talk about how the next five minutes after a goal are important and how we need to pay attention to detail and read what the other team is doing,” head coach Colin Baker said. “The message doesn’t change from game to game. Ultimately we kept our composure, remembered details in our defending, and made sure to commit everyone behind the ball and do what is best for the team in order to see the game out.”
Point Park came into the game in search of its first win since Oct. 15, as the team tied its previous two games and lost the two before that.
The Pioneers led in shots 4-3 at the end of the first half and were outshot 6-3 by Wheeling in the second half.
“Today was a game of patience, Wheeling had to win to secure a play-off spot, and with it being their Senior Day, they gave us quite some pressure,” goalkeeper Frederieke Rijlaarsdam said.
Rijlaarsdam stopped the two Wheeling shots that were counted on goal to earn her third shutout of the season. Two of her shoutouts came against Wheeling.
“As a defense, we stayed compact and we kept communicating well, which helped us get the clean sheet,” Rijlaardam said. “And then our amazing striker Rebecca scored.”
Pihlgren’s game-winning goal, which was assisted by Sterre Kuijper, added to her team-leading total of 10 on the season. Pihlgren’s 10 goals also tied for second among all Mountain East Conference players.
“I think the support and the energy from the team and the coaching staff has been a major factor in my success, that’s helped me a lot with my confidence,” Pihlgren said. “I can’t wait to see how far we as a team get in the playoffs.”
Coach Baker cited Pihlgren’s ability to “impose herself on games,” as one of the key reasons to her offensive success this season.
“Our message to her has been ‘Be you. Have fun,’ and I think that has helped her relax and find a comfortability within the college game as a freshman,” Baker said. “She’s improved on a few things with her back to goal and being able to combine with other attacking players to make her life easier as a center forward.
“Her work ethic each day to get better and to put the team first has been a joy to watch. She’s become one of the best attackers in the MEC and she will continue to score goals and lead from the front for our team.”
As of Sunday evening, Point Park sits in third place in the MEC North Division, which puts the Pioneers in a position to be the No. 3 seed in the MEC playoffs.
The Pioneers will wrap up their season against non-conference opponent Salem University at Highmark Stadium on Wednesday for Senior Day at 5 p.m.
