rief
Brendan Bittner
0
McKendree MCK (7-6-3, 6-5-2 GLVC)
1
Winner Quincy QU (11-2-3, 8-2-3 GLVC)
McKendree MCK
(7-6-3, 6-5-2 GLVC)
0
Final
1
Quincy QU
(11-2-3, 8-2-3 GLVC)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
McKendree MCK 0 0 0
Quincy QU 0 1 1

Game Recap: Women's Soccer | | Brendan Bittner

Rief's Late Winner Lifts Lady Hawks Over Bearcats

QUINCY, Ill. – Sophomore forward Mackenzie Rief (Wentzville, Mo./St. Dominic) headed home a goal in the 87th minute to send the Quincy University women's soccer team to a 1-0 win over visiting McKendree on Friday (Oct. 23) night at Legends Stadium.
 
The No. 16-ranked Lady Hawks (11-2-3, 8-2-3 GLVC) won their fourth straight game and they sit in fourth place in the GLVC standings, just a half-game behind Missouri-St. Louis for third and one game behind Truman for second. Quincy and Truman play in the regular season finale on Wednesday (Oct. 28) in Kirksville, Mo.
 
It was also Quincy's third straight shutout. The Lady Hawks have not allowed a goal in 330 minutes, 51 seconds.
 
On Friday, the Lady Hawks were not sharp out of the gate as McKendree had the better of the chances in the first half, out-shooting the home team, 10-5.
 
The Bearcats (7-6-3, 6-5-2 GLVC) had their best opportunity in the 16th minute when Alyssa Patterson's low cross was tipped away by sophomore keeper Megan Swanson (St. Charles, Mo./St. Dominic). Chelsea Whittaker's strike on the rebound sailed high.
 
"I was pretty nervous at halftime," said 10th-year head coach Dave Musso. "It was hard to get a grasp on the game because we weren't playing well and we just had to figure out our positioning and tactics. We had to stick to our game plan and play better. We can't change anything, because then we're getting away from what makes us successful."
 
After the intermission, the Lady Hawks began to impose their will on the game, moving the ball briskly in the McKendree half.

Freshman Abby Pulliam (St. Louis, Mo./Eureka) came free a couple times behind a stout McKendree back line, but goalkeeper Taylor Zerbe came off her line neatly on both accounts to push the shots away from goal.
 
"We had to find the feet of our forwards," Musso said. "Over the top stuff wasn't working because they were playing a sweeper and it's hard to break down."
 
The Lady Hawks continued to get their opportunities in the second half, but they still remained organized on the back line.

"The moment you start pushing numbers up, you get countered by a team like this," said Musso. "We had to be patient, work the corners and get crosses. Thankfully it worked for us."
 
The breakthrough finally came with 3:28 remaining as sophomore Bailey Greubel (St. Louis, Mo./Nerinx Hall) sent in a high-arching cross from the far left sideline as Rief arrived in the box. QU's forward turned to face the ball and banged it just inside the near post to give the Lady Hawks the only goal they would need.
 
"I was a little past half-field and I saw Bailey get it, so I sprinted to the goal," said Rief. "I knew she was going to cross it and it just happened to meet me right at the same time. I just hit it and prayed it would go in."
 
It was Rief's second goal of the season and Greubel's third assist.
 
"Bailey learned from two minutes before she had the ball deep and she didn't cross," said Musso. "We told her to get the crosses in because we had players forward. She got it on her right foot and just drove it in. That's one of our strengths – crosses and headers, especially with numbers in. Mackenzie just attacked the ball and headed it down and on frame."
 
That would turn out to be the final shot of the game as the Lady Hawks saw out the waning minutes.
 
"We had many opportunities, but it just didn't happen for us in the first half and most of the second half," said Rief. "We have to have patience, we just need to chill and take a deep breath. We knew it was going to come eventually."
 
Swanson and the back line turned in the clean sheet with Quincy's backstop making four saves. Zerbe stopped seven shots for the Bearcats, who out-shot the Lady Hawks, 13-12. QU had the advantage in shots on goal, 8-4, and corner kicks, 6-3.
 
The Lady Hawks return to the field on Sunday (Oct. 25) at noon for Senior Day at Legends Stadium. They will take on Illinois Springfield (5-9-2, 4-7-2 GLVC), which fell to Truman, 4-0, on Friday.
 
QU
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