University of Washington
Louisville
Perez Brace Gives Huskies 2-1 Win Over Louisville
August 23, 2015 | Women's Soccer
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – UW junior midfielder and team captain Amanda Perez scored two goals to lead UW women's soccer to its first victory of the season, a 2-1 win over Louisville, as the Huskies split their season-opening road trip.
“It felt great to get a win, dust off those cobwebs a little bit,” Perez said. “After Friday's loss we felt a little bit down but today we came in, trying to play our game. I'm proud of how everyone persevered and really stepped up and played how we wanted to.”
After Louisville took a 1-0 lead in the 30th minute, the Huskies wasted little time in tying the game. Forward Kimberly Keever beat her defender to earn a corner taken by midfielder Shannon Simon, who found Perez alone near the edge of the box. Perez fired a shot into the upper right corner of the goal, giving the Huskies' their first goal of the season and tying the game at one.
“Shannon put that on a silver platter for me, all I had to do was touch and shoot it,” Perez said. “We've practiced that a few times and it felt good to execute in a game.”
The Huskies started the second half strong, dominating possession and creating multiple scoring opportunities leading up to Perez's second goal. Simon and forward Miranda Rawlings combined to move the ball up the sideline, leading to a cross from Simon that forward Rachel Wheeler attempted to put her head on, forcing Louisville keeper Taylor Bucklin to bat the ball into the air. Perez was alone on the back side of the goal to head home the rebound for her second of the game, which would prove to be the game-winner.
“Miranda was just working hard, and Rachel, being the true forward that she is, got in there and caused chaos,” Perez said. “Luckily the ball came my way and I was there to tap it in.”
The two goals were Perez's third and fourth of her career after scoring two last year as a sophomore. It was the first multi-goal game of her collegiate career.
“Amanda Perez did not have her best game against Kentucky, and it was great to see her bounce back as a captain and veteran player on this team,” UW head coach Lesle Gallimore said. “Not only did she get the two goals, but she played really well. I'm happy for her.”
The Huskies started the game on the attack, putting up seven shots to none for Louisville in the first 20 minutes. Louisville's first shot came in the 21st minute and started a stretch of about 10 minutes that saw the Cardinals connect and create opportunities. In the 30th minute, a scrum in the UW box led to a ball falling to Louisville forward Rachel Avant. Her shot directly in front of the goal was heavily deflected by UW keeper Megan Kufeld, but the ball had just enough on it to trickle through and into the goal to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead, setting up Perez's heroics.
For the second straight game, the Huskies had 17 different players see the field, including four freshman.
“We knew we would have to manage this tough team, the heat and the quick turnaround with substitutions and I think we did a good job of managing that,” Gallimore said. “More importantly, the players coming off the bench did a great job. The depth on our team is starting to show and will be a big advantage for us going forward.”
The Huskies host cross-town rival Seattle U on Friday, Aug. 28, at 4:30 p.m. PT at Husky Soccer Field in their home opener. The game will be shown regionally on Pac-12 Network Washington. The Huskies beat Seattle U 1-0 last season when the UW visited the Redhawks.
For more on UW women's soccer, follow the Huskies on Facebook and on Snapchat, Periscope, Twitter and Instagram at @UW_WSoccer.
