MILWAUKEE – A goal in each half from Kayla Rollins and a shutout from Kendall Edwards in net sent the Milwaukee women's soccer team to a 2-0 victory over Detroit Mercy Sunday afternoon at Engelmann Stadium.
 
"We played better today," head coach Kevin Boyd said. "Just overall, our soccer was better and that is something we are focusing on – trying to get better each game. It's been about our attack and keeping the ball and creating more chances. In that I thought we were better today."
 
The Panthers (5-2-2, 2-0 Horizon League) were in control against the Titans (3-4-3, 1-1 Horizon League) from start to finish, running their win streak against today's opponent to an impressive 17 in a row, not having lost since 2006. The clean sheet today was also the eighth in the past nine against UDM and gave MKE the only 2-0 start across conference play over the opening weekend.
 
"We are happy about the six-point weekend," Boyd said. "They had won their first game as well and are a much-improved squad over last year. Their win over Youngstown (2-1 Sept. 14) was a good win, so we knew that this was going to be challenge and if we could beat them, we could put them behind us, and that was our goal."
 
Back-and-forth the opening minutes while both teams adjusted to a windy day, the Panthers started to pick up steam as the game went on. Rollins struck for the eventual game-winner at the 31:59 mark on a beauty of a header.
 
Senya Meurer started the play, finding Kat Van Booven down the left wing. Two touches later, Van Booven sent a perfect serve to the far post, where Rollins did the rest to net her fifth of the campaign, giving her goals in five of her past six outings.
 
Despite considerable advantages of 19-8 in totals shots and 62 percent of possession on the day, it wasn't until late that the MKE offense sealed the victory.
 
"The 1-0 scoreline in the second half got a little dodgy for a bit there," Boyd said. "They were pressing us and we didn't handle that quite the way we needed to. But I loved that we got a second goal to seal it at that point and I really thought we were going to get a third one there at the end."
 
It was Rollins again, recording the fourth multi-goal effort of her career when she was in the right place at the right time to bang in a rebound off a shot from Molly O'Regan, who started the action with a turnover in back.
 
"Really happy with her right now," Boyd said about Rollins. "She looks like the Kayla we've been expecting the whole time. She is playing very well and her effort is outstanding and that's really where it comes out. You know, you work that hard and you are going to get opportunities."
 
Edwards finished the afternoon with three saves, including a tough one on a shot from distance in the 63^rd minute that she popped up and off the cross bar, grabbing the rebound before any trouble developed.
 
In addition to the 19-8 shot chart, Milwaukee owned a 9-3 advantage in shots on goal and had eight of the 11 corner kicks on the day. Rollins and Meurer led the offense with four shots apiece.
 
"You know, 19 shots and we only get two goals … we probably left a little out there but the encouraging piece is that we were better on the ball," Boyd said. "I like that we had 62 percent possession, that's starting to fit into the way we want to play. Now we just want to concentrate on where we want that 62 percent to occur."
 
Up next, Milwaukee remains at home to host Robert Morris Thursday, set to kickoff at 7 p.m.