MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee women's soccer team got goals from three different players and a shutout in net from goalkeeper Kendall Edwards to run past Robert Morris Thursday night at Engelmann Stadium by a final score of 3-0.
 
"I felt the first half was closer than the scoreline indicated," head coach Kevin Boyd said. "I know it was 2-0 and we outshot them, but they out-corner kicked us and I thought their attack was quite dangerous. They do some things really well and we had to adjust to that at halftime and sort out what those little pieces were. And we did."
 
The Panthers (6-2-2, 3-0 Horizon League) controlled the match against the Colonials (7-2-2, 1-2 Horizon League) from start to finish, netting the eventual game-winner in the 12^th minute to remain perfect (now 5-0) in the all-time series against today's opponent.
 
"Credit to us, I think we came out in the second half far better defensively," Boyd said. "Again, I thought we were better today in the attack, which is something we are focused on right now. I still think we are leaving some goals out there – I mean, 23 shots and three goals. We're getting these chances and we're just missing by a little. We have to put a few more away so that games don't stay 2-0 until later in the contest when we could have been up a little bit more. I love that all three starting forwards got a goal tonight and that is something that we have been building and trying to find. Just a lot of positives coming out of today."
 
Edwards made four saves on the evening to record her third clean sheet of the season, including two huge stops down the stretch. The first came on a corner kick in the 75^th minute that was heading into the goal and the second came just 84 seconds later on a shot from distance she was able to pop up-and-over the crossbar.
 
Edwards also made a little history on the offensive side, picking up an assist on the third MKE goal of the night – marking just the second goalkeeper assist for a Panther since 2006.
 
"It's always awesome when a goalkeeper gets an assist, but she had to work to get that shutout," Boyd said. "She made a couple of really nice saves. She came out and had to take a couple of balls under pressure out of her area and dealt with it quite well. She earned that shutout every bit as much as everyone else on the field."
 
The offense started strong, nearly getting on the board in the ninth minute on a blast through traffic off the foot of Senya Meurer but couldn't quite sneak it in at the post. It was just a few minutes later when they did convert, with Molly O'Regan banging in her first goal of the season at the 11:17 mark off a nice build-up from Kat Van Booven and Jenni Andjelic.
 
About 10 minutes later they doubled the advantage. This time it was – who else – Kayla Rollins, scoring her seventh goal in the past seven games off a combination of passes from Lainey Higgins and Andjelic in the 23^rd minute.
 
Van Booven nearly had her first of the night just after the break, but her shot off a pass from Higgins went wide to the right by inches just 61 seconds in.
 
She got the goal she was looking for in the 61^st minute, helping Edwards make some history when she slotted in the long goal kick for her third of the season. Edwards booted the ball downfield, originally landing well past the midfield stripe. Van Booven ran onto the fourth hop and shifted the other way for the great finish at the 60:04 mark.
 
The offense was once again in high gear overall, finishing with 23 shots. Only a pair of back-to-back stops on consecutive shots from Brooke Parnello and Emma Famulak kept a fourth goal off the scoreboard in the 79^th minute and Van Booven missed a brace on a close-call that whistled just wide in the 86^th.
 
For the game, MKE posted an advantage of 23-11 in total shots, as well as 10-4 in shots on goal. RMU did earn seven of the 12 corner kicks, but time of possession went Milwaukee's way at 54/46. Van Booven finished with three points (G/A) and a career-high seven shot attempts to lead the offense (her former high was five), with O'Regan and Rollins each adding four shots apiece.
 
Up next, Milwaukee gets a break from action and then closes out the month on the road, heading to Northern Kentucky next Saturday. Game time against the Norse is set for 12 p.m. CST.