SPEARFISH, S.D. Mary Wilson's goal off a free kick with under 10 minutes remaining in the game lifted visiting Western Colorado University to a 1-0 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference women's soccer victory over Black Hills State University Sunday afternoon at Ronnie Theisz Field.

THE ESSENTIALS
Final score: Western Colorado def. Black Hills State, 1-0
Records: Western Colorado 5-10-1 (2-8-1 RMAC), Black Hills State 3-10-1 (2-8-1)
Location: Ronnie Theisz Field; Spearfish, S.D.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• A Black Hills State foul late in the 80th minute set up the Mountaineers for a set piece from about 10 yards outside the box.
• Wilson set up a little left of center where she launched a strike that curled around the Yellow Jackets defensive wall and snuck into the top, right corner of the frame, out of reach of the gloves of leaping BHS goalkeeper Makayla Dannelly. The goal was Wilson's first of the season.
• Though Western finished with a 17-5 advantage in total shots and a 7-3 edge in shots on goal, prior to Wilson's game-winner the most dangerous scoring opportunity in the contest was a Yellow Jacket penalty kick that came at the 59:24 mark after a Mountaineer foul in their own box.
• Between the pipes for Western was Grace Walker, who had taken over for starter Kaeyla Noble three minutes earlier. BHS's Darby Whiteley strode to the mark and poked a shot low and center frame, but Walker hadn't completely abandoned her line to the left or right and easily handled the attempt to keep the score deadlocked at 0-0.

MORE TO IT

• Western dominated action in the first half, piling up an 11-1 lead in shots and getting four of those 11 shots on frame, keeping BHS's Teagen Hartley busy while repelling the Mountaineer attack.
• Including Wilson's game-winner, five different Western players put a shot on goal, including Laura Pelino who registered two of the eventual seven shots on frame.
• Walker needed to make just that one save to earn the win between the pipes for Western. Noble had collected a pair of saves before leaving the game midway through second-half action.

UP NEXT

• Western closes out the regular season Wednesday at home against Fort Lewis College in a 3 p.m. RMAC contest at Katy O. Rady Field.
• Black Hills State finishes out the RMAC regular season Wednesday at Metropolitan State University of Denver.