OLYMPIA, Wash. – Senior defender
Payton Puppe-Wotipka continued to lead a blossoming Southern Oregon back line and even got into the scoring act in Saturday's 2-0 win at Evergreen State (Wash.).
In the 13th minute, Puppe-Wotipka took a free kick from the left side, nearly 40 yards long, and placed it neatly between keeper Katie Gresham's outstretched arms and the crossbar to give the Raiders the lead for good.
They extended their program-best season-opening unbeaten streak while upping their record to 5-0-2 overall and 2-0 in the Cascade Conference. They also got some late insurance from
Ava Johnson, who scored for the second time this weekend and the fifth time this season by tapping in a
Macie Yannoni corner kick with less than four minutes remaining.
Dating back to last season, the Raiders have notched six consecutive shutout victories in CCC contests. They became the first time on the table to reach six points.
The Raiders have allowed three goals through their first seven outings and didn't let the Geoducks (0-3-1, 0-2) get off a single shot in the latest effort. It was the first time since the 2020-21 season that an SOU opponent failed to generate an attempt.
Puppe-Wotipka's goal was her first of the season and the third of her SOU career. Yannoni's assist was her third, putting her at No. 3 on the conference leaderboard.
The Raiders are on the road again next week – they've only played one at home so far – to face Oregon Tech at noon Friday. They return to Laurel Field Oct. 2-3 with Carroll (Mont.) and Rocky Mountain (Mont.) in town.
