THE RUNDOWN
On Wednesday, No. 1 DBU rejoined the win column with a 2-0 shutout of St. Edward's at Lewis-Chen Family Field. A Kaleigh Naizer goal in the 11th minute was all DBU needed to earn the win, but Michelle Gonzalez "Marta'  added one more for good measure in the final five minutes to help the Patriots pull away in a key conference matchup. Coach Wood's squad now improves to 8-1-1 overall and hovers near the top of the conference standings with a 4-1-1 record in league play. 

The Hilltoppers (8-2-2, 4-1-1 LSC) got off to a hot start on an even hotter fall afternoon in Austin, Texas. Goalkeeper Adrianna Schroeder was forced into a pair of early saves as the DBU defense settled into the match. But as the clock rolled over the 11-minute mark, DBU entered the driver's seat on a methodical counterattack. Barreling past a herd of Hilltoppers, Jacqueline Wiebe whipped a quick cross over to Haley Roberson, who placed a dime onto the head of a soaring Kaleigh Naizer that was punched into the net. 

The second half started much like the first. SEU hunted for clean looks but couldn't push anything across a disciplined DBU defense. The Patriots would slowly find their rhythm as the second half progressed. It was Marta who took command of the offense in the final 45 minutes. The senior fired a season-high seven shots at SEU goalkeeper Abby Carlson before her final attempt of the afternoon landed in spectacular fashion. 

Slicing through the middle of the field, Marta knifed between the SEU backline near the top of the 18-yard box before cutting left and ripping a left-footed shot past five Hilltoppers that sealed the 2-0 win. 

COACH MARCUS WOOD ON THE WIN 
"It was a great game between two outstanding teams. Both teams wanted to attack and get after it, and both teams created scoring chances... I thought our back row did very well despite facing many difficult situations. 

Gabrielle and Jacqueline Wiebe, Kathryn Mullis, and Madison Parks were outstanding off the bench. Marta created so many chances, and we were all happy for her when she put one away in the 85th minute. Overall, it was a collective team effort.

THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 
-DBU improves to 6-1-1 against St. Edward's since 2017. 
-Coach Wood gets the 395th win of his career. 
-The Patriots move into third place in the LSC standings. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 
4 - With her fourth assist of the year, Haley Roberson ties Marta and Angelina Olmos for the team lead. 
2 - Kaleigh Naizer pushes across her second score of the year. 
1 - Jaqueline Weibe earned the first assist of her DBU career. 

UP NEXT 
No. 1 DBU comes home to take on Midwestern State in the nightcap of a Saturday doubleheader. Kickoff is set for 7:05 p.m.  Read Full Article