Big goal Bowman planted the Gators’ first two goals of the season in the back of the net to secure the 2-0 win in the home opener against University of Hawai’i at Hilo Vulcans.

“It’s a big weight off our shoulders getting the ball rolling and back on track,” Robin Bowman said. “My personal goal is not to lose at home.”

Both goals came off corner kicks leading to captain Morgan Davison giving Bowman the nicknames “Corner Queen” and after heading in her second goal “The Heading Bobinator.”

The first half goal came with 48 seconds left when Sara Ordaz put the corner up for grabs and Lauren McAulay put her head on the ball right to a Bowman, who volleyed it in the upper-right hand corner of the net, Bowman said.

Sara Whelan took the second corner sending the ball to a waiting Bowman who was planted at the near post waiting for the opportunity.

The win could not have been sealed with out keeper Rachel Lauderdale punching two free kicks over the net in the final minutes of the game with only a split second to react after the ball came over the team’s wall. This was Lauderdale’s first regular season win.

“It feels great,” Lauderdale said. “Finally.”

Lauderdale was six for six on saves. The Vulcans had 12 shots on goal, six on target and one saved by the left post.

“I told her there were no words to explain the job she did,” Davison said. “I said thank you.”

“I saw the ball in a split second [go over the wall on the free kick] and then I saw Rachel behind me and I
said thank you. Then the second time I said thank you again.”

The Gators’ ran into a physical game that saw multiple players for each team go down.

“Every game is physical,” Whelan said. “Basically just intense.”

A head-to-head collision between Lauren Candia and the Vulcans Emily Lambert sent Candia to the
ground.

Candia left the game with a cut above her right eye and opted to get Derma bond to seal the wound instead of stitches, Davison said.

Three yellow cards were handed out in the game, two to the Gators. Michelle Mason and Carly Bliss were the recipients.

When Candia left the game Whelan replaced her at defender after playing forward the rest of the game.
“Pretty normal,” Whelan said about changing positions. “I’ve played every position, I play where I’m
needed.”

Coach Jack Hyde said the team excelled in the second half on ball possession and the whole game on the execution of corners. The team needs more possession time and the ball to “stick like glue” to the players feet.

“I know we won, but we’re better then that,” Davison said. “We didn’t play our game.”

Midfielders fielders Bliss and Bowman made it their business to control the center of the field and every ball in the air. Bliss was the enforcer, the answer to the rough play of the Vulcans.

“We’ve tried emphasizing air balls and second balls,” Hyde said about the team’s constant winning of headers.

This set the Gators up to take a season high 14 shots on goal with ten being on target.

This defense was not going to be out done by the offense. They were on top of every loose ball and were able to feed the ball back up front.

The purple and gold will continue the four-game home stand on Sept. 9 at 3:30 p.m. when they come they come face-to-face with Central Washington University.