Oct. 22, 2006

Box Score

DENVER - The University of Denver women's soccer team knocked off Western Kentucky 5-0 on Sunday at Pioneer Field. The Pioneers improve to 14-2-1 overall and 10-0-0 in the Sun Belt Conference while Western Kentucky falls to 10-6-0/7-3-0 in the SBC.

Junior Jenna Billingsley (Littleton, Colo.) scored early and often, tallying her first career hat trick in the first 15 minutes of the game. Billingsley started the scoring when she converted on a penalty kick in the ninth minute. Her second goal came when she deflected a shot by senior Lleane Grimditch (Boulder, Colo.) into the top corner of the net in the 12th minute. Billingsley completed the hat trick when she took a pass from Grimditch and put the ball in the top of the net for her team-leading 13th goal of the season.

"We had really good movement," Billingsley said. "I got some great passes and I found myself in the right places at the right times."

Freshman Mariah Johnston (Littleton, Colo.) continued the scoring for the Pioneers in the 50th minute when she took a shot from 25 yards out and put the ball into the top left corner of the net for her third goal of the year. Senior Laura Mann (Ft. Collins, Colo.) rounded out the Denver goals when she took a shot off a cross from sophomore Dana Schonberger (Littleton, Colo.) and put it in the net for her first goal of the year. Senior Dani Wiley (Littleton, Colo.) wasn't forced to make a save as DU outshot Western Kentucky 21-0. The shutout win was the fifth of the season for Wiley and the ninth for Denver.

With the win today and Middle Tennessee beating North Texas 3-2, the Pioneers find themselves alone at the top of the SBC standings. Denver will face North Texas next Friday, Oct. 27 at 3 p.m. at Pioneer Field to determine the seeding of the SBC Tournament, which begins Nov. 1 in Lafayette, La.

"North Texas has a different style," head coach Jeff Hooker said. "They play more direct and we'll have a tough match to play."