UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The George Mason women's soccer team kept No. 17 West Virginia to an unproductive second half, but the Mountaineers secured the win with three goals scored in the first half. The Patriots (0-2-1) dropped a 3-0 decision to the Mountaineers (1-2-0) Sunday afternoon at Jeffrey Field to close out the Penn State Invitational.
Goalkeeper Alex Bodenschatz recorded a career-high 10 saves, six coming in the second half. Mason found its rhythm in the second half and controlled the game pace outshooting WVU 11-9 and winning the edge in corner kicks, 4-1. Kelly Thomas had four shots with one on goal, while Nicole Clark followed with three shots. Mary Kate Lowry led Mason with two shots on goal.
West Virginia made its presence in the opening minutes of the match. Mason's Bodenschatz picked up two saves within five minutes of play when Kate Schwindel drilled a shot from outside the 18-yard box and Frances Silva took a shot in front of net four minutes later. Bodenschatz picked up her third of four saves in the half in the 20th minute before WVU got on board with a Drea Barklage goal at in the 28th minute. Barklage received Schwindel's corner kick from five yards out and punched it in to the right of the net for the early 1-0 lead. The Mountaineers doubled their lead on an unassisted Silva shot in the right corner in the 34rd minute.
WVU took a 3-0 advantage less than two minutes later. A scramble in front of the net after a Katie Lenz shot on goal allowed Chelsey Corrot to sweep in from behind for the tap in off the rebound. Lenz was credited with the assist on the play. Mountaineer goalkeeper Sara Keane made her lone save of the half on a Zania Barnum attempt from 20 yards out as time expired for the period. WVU outshot Mason 13-4 in the opening period and held an 8-1 advantage in corner kicks.
The Mountaineers continued to pressure Mason in the opening minutes of the second half as Bodenschatz recorded two saves before the period was 10 minutes old. Bodenschatz squashed a West Virginia threat in the 61st minute as Emily Dillion set up a perfect cross pass to Schwindel right in the center of the box. Schwindel was in position to finish the play, but Bodenshatz made a diving save for her seventh of the game.
Mason changed the pace and came on strong midway through the second half, producing several scoring opportunities within minutes of each other. The first came on a Thomas shot from the right wing in the 66th minute. A few minutes later, the Patriots had another opportunity when Lowry served a cross pass to Clark on the far right side. Clark carried the dribble to the corner of the penalty box as Keane made the diving save to keep Mason scoreless.
Less than two minutes later, Lowry tried to get the Patriots on the scoreboard with a shot from in the box. Coming from the right side, Tiana Kallenberger delivered a pass to a charging Lowry, but Keane was again able to eliminate the threat as she punched the attempt out for her fourth save of the contest.
Keane picked up her fifth stop in the net in the 82nd minute. Lowry took a header from the close left wing off a Jazmin Cardoso corner kick. The header looked to clear the keeper high, but Keane kept the ball outside the net. With 40 seconds left in the match, Kallenberger's shot from inside the 18-yard box was deflected by a pair of Mountaineer defenders.
The Patriots return home and welcome UNC Greensboro to George Mason Stadium on Friday, September 2 at 7 p.m. to begin a five-game homestand.
