CLAREMORE, Okla. - Raquel Chavez registered a pair of goals to lead the Rogers State women's soccer team past John Brown 2-0, giving Derek Larkin his 80th win as the Head Coach of the Hillcat women's soccer team on Friday night at Soldier Field.
Larkin is the only coach the RSU women's soccer program has known in its brief six-year existence. Under Larkin's guidance the women's soccer program has garnered a 10 or more win season and made a postseason appearance each year. The Cats won the Sooner Athletic Conference Championship in their inaugural season in 2007.
Chavez, a junior from Broken Arrow, Okla., put the Cats on the board in the 31st minute of play. There was a scramble in the box and the ball was cleared to the top of the box where Chavez was standing. She fired the ball past the keeper in the bottom right corner of the goal as the Hillcats took a 1-0 advantage.
RSU took the 1-0 lead into the locker room at the half but the Golden Eagles had scoring opportunities throughout the first 45 minutes and in the beginning of the second stanza. However, Chavez's second goal deflated JBU and the Hillcats controlled much of the second period. The goal came in the 58th minute as she beat a defender and blast the ball into the goal, upper 90 back post, from 30 yards out.
RSU fired 20 shots in the contest while putting eight of them on frame. JBU goalkeeper Kristen Morency made six saves while allowing two goals. RSU goalkeeper Jordan Harris registered her fourth shutout of the season as she tallied four saves. The Golden Eagles took nine shots in the contest.
Rogers State (11-3-1, 3-2-1) rounds out the regular season slate next week with a pair of home games against Sooner Athletic Conference opponents. The Hillcats will face SAC foe Oklahoma Baptist on Tuesday at 2 p.m. and Friday night at 6 p.m. RSU takes on St. Gregory's at 6 p.m. Both games will be streamed live on the Hillcat Network at www.rsuhillcats.com/live.
