Cowgirls Blank Border War Rival CSU on Road, 1-0

FORT COLLINS, Colo., – Make that five in a row.

Wins, that is.

And make no mistake, none were bigger than this one.

Lauren Westwood found the back of the net for her first-career goal during the 18th minute in Fort Collins, giving the Cowgirls a 1-0 lead they wouldn't relinquish against their Border War rivals.

Westwood is the ninth different Wyoming soccer player to tickle the twine this season.

The Cowgirls cap non-conference play with an overall record of 7-2-0. The lone losses -- against Weber State and South Carolina -- both came at home. Wyoming is a perfect 5-0 away from the Madrid Sports Complex.

That loss drops Colorado State to 1-6-1 during its inaugural season in the reimagined Pac-12 Conference.

“You need these games to see how you need to prepare for conference to see what it takes to grind games out,” head coach Josh Purdum said. “We haven’t had too many tight games from a statistical standpoint, and at the end of the day that game could have gone either way. To do that on the road and to do that for a fourth road game in a row on the road is a testament to the group’s mindset.”

Cowgirls’ goalkeeper, Haley Bartel, turned away six shots for her fifth clean sheet of the season. It’s also her 23rd career shutout, which is four clear of the previous program record.

Speaking of program records. The 7-2-0 non-conference performance is the best in school history from a win-percentage standpoint. Also, it’s the first time a Wyoming team has ever won four straight road matches.

The Pokes will remain on the road to open Mountain West Conference play. They travel to Nevada on Sept. 24 for a 7 p.m. match at Mackay Stadium.

* A UW press release contributed to this report