GUNNISON, Colo.  Western Colorado women's soccer put together a stunning performance under the lights and often in the rain Friday evening at Katy O. Rady Field, rolling to a 5-0 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference victory over visiting New Mexico Highlands University.

Five different players scored for the Mountaineers while allowing a total of just nine Cowgirls shots during a win that is the largest margin of victory since a 7-0 win over Black Hills State University on September 15, 2017.

JUST THE FACTS, (MAD) JACK
Final score: Western def. N.M. Highlands, 5-0
Records: Western 4-5-1 (2-2 RMAC), Highlands 0-9 (0-5)
Location: Katy O. Rady Field, Gunnison, Colo.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Offsides, offsides, offsides. Western controlled the tempo of the game from the start, playing and connecting faster than Highlands could backpedal, but that speed and passing connectivity was offset by multiple times the attack earned offsides calls – eight times in the opening 30 minutes, including four calls over a little more than a three-minute span.
• It was only going to be a matter of time, though, and finally, in the 36th minute, Western would light up the scoreboard.
• A nice transition from its defensive third rotated across midfield to the right where Reece Mercer drove down the touchline deep into the corner. She pushed a cross into the box toward Kylee Smith who twisted past her mark and dished a perfect setup for Taylor Bottoms who then rifled a shot into the bottom right corner to open the scoring with what would eventually become the game-winning goal.
• Hot off that opening score, the Mountaineers returned to their attacking third with another dangerous scoring opportunity a little more than seven minutes later.
• Bottoms went for a second goal from the top of the box, but that shot was blocked and bounced well out past the penalty arc. It was collected by Alex Mason who was able to shove a pass to her right. Laura Pelino spun past her defender and fired off a Carli Lloyd-type shot from 30 yards out that soared into the top, right corner for her first goal of the season. The goal in the 43rd allowed Western to take a 2-0 lead into the halftime break.
• With the Mountaineers dominating possession – spending nearly 70 percent of the game in their attacking half of the pitch – it was no surprise that more goals found the back of the Highlands net.
• Smith, off an assist from Mercer, scored in the 69th, followed five minutes later by a Hadley Collins goal with Mercer adding another assist. Four minutes later it was Caileen Sienknecht adding to the goal total, knocking one home from an assist by Natasha Kasozi.

MORE TO IT

• The backline defenders in front of goalkeeper Aubree Orosco limited the Cowgirls' attack options. Highlands had one shot in the first half – compared to 14 from Western – which wasn't on frame. With the game all but decided in second half action, the Cowgirls registered nine shots with four making it on frame where Orosco came up with saves on each to secure the shutout.
• Orosco is now 3-3 between the pipes after six starts.
• The game-winner by Bottoms was her second goal of the season, but the scores by Pelino, Smith, Collins and Sienknecht were each of their first markers of the year.
• Seven Mountaineers registered shots in the contest, led by Bottoms' four.

UP NEXT
Western welcomes Colorado Christian University to Rady Field on Sunday for a 1 p.m. conference battle. The Cougars on Friday afternoon dropped a 3-1 decision to host Fort Lewis College.