AVE MARIA, Fla. (October 6, 2022) - The Webber International University women's soccer team opened Sun Conference play with a road matchup against the Ave Maria University Gyrenes on Thursday night. The Warriors earned the 2-1 victory for their first conference win of the season while extending their win streak to seven matches to start the year.

The seven-match win streak ties the longest in program history, last occurring in 2009 when the Warriors (7-0-0 overall, 1-0-0 SUN) won seven-straight to end the season.

It was a tightly contested match between the Warriors and Gyrenes (3-3-3, 0-1-0) as both teams had a near equal number of shots. Ave Maria would have the slight advantage with on more shot, 14-13, and one more shot on goal, 6-5.

There were scoring opportunities at both ends of the pitch to begin the match but neither team would be able to open the scoring. Webber outshot the Gyrenes 7-4 within the first half hour of the match but yet it remained scoreless. In the 36th minute, Ave Maria would have two efforts on goal roughly a minute apart and both would be kept out by senior-goalie Cameron Laine. Following the second save, the Warriors had a counter-attacking opportunity that ended with a solo-goal from distance by junior Deborah Guillen to earn a 1-0 lead.

The Gyrenes came out of halftime pressuring the Webber goal and it would pay off after just five minutes as they would find the back of the net to even the score at 1-1. It did not take long for the Warriors to reestablish their lead as just 71 seconds later, Faith Cullen-Cooper would pull off an incredible bicycle kick off of a headed pass from Brazil Clark to make it 2-1. Ave Maria had six shots for the remainder of the match, only one of which would be on target and Laine stood firm to make the save.

The Warriors were led by Guillen and Cullen-Cooper who had a goal each. It was Cullen-Cooper's second goal in seven matches so far this season and Guillen's third in six matches played. Laine spent all 90 minutes in goal, recording a season-high five saves in total.

Webber has just a one-day break to prepare for their next matchup against the No. 1 Keiser University Seahawks on Saturday, October 8th, at 3 p.m. on the Warriors Grass Field.
It will be the beginning of a three-match home-stand for the Warriors.