The Butler women's soccer team opened its season Friday night with a 2-0 home win over the No. 2 team in the country at BG Products Veterans Sports Complex.
The Grizzlies, ranked No. 6 themselves, broke a scoreless tie at halftime to beat national power Iowa Western. Butler had a great look at goal in the fifth minute, but Rosa Urista-Chico's hard shot was deflected with a sensational save by Iowa Western keeper Haley Johnson.
In the second half, the Grizzlies finally broke through. Butler's first goal came in the 68th minute off the foot of Jaclyn Means. She took a pass from Rosa Urista-Chico in the middle of the field and slammed the ball into the upper-right 90 to make it a 1-0 game.
Butler got an insurance goal in the 79th minute from Sheree Molina, she had the ball near the top of the 18-yard box and kept the ball as she moved past two defenders before sneaking a ball just inside the left post.
The defense kept a clean sheet, shutting out Iowa Western for just the second time in 12 games between the two programs all-time. Goalkeeper Jami Reichenberger, who made three saves, earned the shutout in her first collegiate contest.
Butler has played Iowa Western in the first game of the season in each of the past five years and is now 3-2 against the Reivers in season openers, winning all three games at home and losing both on the road.
Butler is now 11-2-1 in season openers in its history, with those two losses coming to Iowa Western in 2012 and 2014, both in Council Bluffs.
The Grizzlies are 4-7-1 overall against Iowa Western, snapping a two-game losing streak. The Reivers won both games last year – the season opener and the final game of the season at the national tournament in Florida.
