Box Score
Postgame Interview Video
Highlights
LACEY, Wash. — The heart of the Cal State Stanislaus women's soccer program in recent years continues to spark the team as the Warriors opened the 2012 season with a bang in the Pacific Northwest on Thursday.
Karenee Demery,
Alexia Poon and
Bernie Bettencourt -- household names in the Stanislaus community -- each scored a goal to help the 25th-ranked Warriors defeat Saint Martin's, 3-0.
"It was a typical first game with nerves and jitters but we played well for a vast majority of the game.," said head coach
Gabriel Bolton. "Our forwards really played at a high level taking players on and going to the goal."
Fittingly, it was Demery and Poon teamming up again for the team's first score. Demery, the two-time All-American and the school's all-time leading scorer, collected a through ball from Poon in the 15th minute to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead. Poon had picked up a long ball from
Katelyn Nebesnick, who was also credited with an assist.
The Demery-Poon combo accounted for seven goals last season including the 2011 opener against Central Washington.
"It was a beautiful combination between Katelyn, Alexia and Karenee. The finish was clinical," Bolton said.
Then in the 28th minute, Poon stole the ball from SMU goalkeeper Gina Cardenas for an uncontested score. "That was a hustle goal. Alexia deserves a lot of credit for doing the work and creating something out of nothing," Bolton added.
Bettencourt finished off the Saints in the 88th minute with a nice header score for the final count. Freshman
Jordan Moineau assisted on the play with a great cross.
"That was probably the goal of the game with an amazing cross from Jordan to the back post then a beautiful header by Bernie," described by Bolton.
Cal State Stanislaus out-shot Saint Martin's 17 to 4.
Defensively, the Warriors were up to the task. Goalkeeper
Millie Brown kept the Saints scoreless by denying a penality kick chance in the 44th minute.
"Other than about five minutes at the end of the first half we played fantastic. It was well organized and we certainly deserved a shutout," Bolton said.
The Warriors will get a chance to enjoy the Pacific Northwest in the next few days before taking on Simon Fraser in Burnaby, British Columbia, on Sunday. The kickoff at SFU, which is near Vancouver is at 11 a.m.
