STEUBENVILLE, Ohio – An early goal from Jordan Byrley and a second half penalty kick from Katie Roemer gave Franciscan women's soccer just enough to hang on for a 2-1 win over Westminster College.

The win gives the Lady Barons a 5-2 record, their best record after seven games in program history.

"Winning to them is just a step and I think that's what it needs to be," head coach Clare McBane said of her girls' mentality this season. "Our goal is beautiful, perfect soccer. Winning is not our goal, it will be the result of our goal."

The Lady Baron's first goal, three minutes into the game, was the closest they've come to perfect soccer all season. After winning the ball on defensive end, junior midfielder Ashley Ruttencutter started a chain reaction of well placed passes down the field.

Five different FUS players touched the ball before sophomore forward Hannah Cooke found fellow forward Byrley open inside the 18-yard box. Byrley took a touch and finished the play with a strong shot to the left side of the net.

"To watch them give one-hundred percent in their fourth game in six days and perfect something they've worked on this whole season, you just have to be proud," McBane said of watching the play from the sideline.

After a well placed penalty kick from junior midfielder Roemer put FUS up 2-0 in the seventy-sixth minute, a Titan free kick found an unmarked attacker in the box who deftly placed the ball into the side netting, setting up a frantic final 13 minutes.

"Westminster is always an incredibly tough team because they never fatigue," McBane said. "So you can fathom how we felt knowing when that first goal happened that it could start a hot streak for them."

The hot streak stopped at one in large part to a tremendous, aggressive effort from junior goalkeeper Mallory Garthwaite. While the stat line will only show three saves, Garthwaite's quick step and aggressive style stopped Westminster's attempts to break free on deep balls over the top.

"Many keepers are contained by the idea that they're the goalkeeper and should stay in the goal," McBane said. "Mallory understands that her job would be a lot easier if, on those long balls, she cleans them up before they get a chance to shoot."

"This game would not have turned out the way it did if she did not show up to play today."

The Lady Baron's win and season record as a whole is a testament to their improved depth and ability to keep the talent level high despite injuries. With team captains Julia Cocozza and Hannah Castree already sidelined, the team's leading scorer from 2012, Ashley Ruttencutter, left the game early in the first half. Freshman forward Meghan Darcy, stepped into a new position at left midfield to replace Ruttencutter and helped keep the Franciscan offense moving.

"Losing one 90-minute starter is tough enough. We're down three 90-minute starters," McBane said. "Our bench is just as ready and just as tough and just as talented as our starters. We're starting to build our roster to where the talent doesn't decrease."

McBane's team finished with a 3-1 record during a run of four games in six days. As a reward, she told her team after the match to take the following days practice off to rest and recover. The Lady Barons will be back on the field for a home match against Washington & Jefferson College at 1 pm on September, 21.