GRAND JUNCTOIN, Colo., - Haley Mendel scored twice in the first 15 minutes of the match to lead the Angelo State women's soccer team to a 2-0 shutout of Fort Lewis in Grand Junction, Colo., on Thursday afternoon.

"We started out strong with two goals in the first 15 minutes," ASU head soccer coach Travis McCorkle said. "We worked very hard for this win and this was another step forward for us. Haley Mendel had a great day capitalizing on her chances and scoring both goals for us. The fact this was another win on the road, a long way from home, in altitude and on turf is huge for us. These are important results and we needed this to build our confidence."

The Belles (2-0-1) put the pressure early with a 7-4 shot advantage in the first half. ASU outshot Fort Lewis (1-1-1) 11-10 for the match despite the Skyhawks producing five corner kicks. Ten of the 11 shots by ASU were on goal.  

"We knew we wanted to come out strong against Fort Lewis," Mendel said. "When Shay (Williams), Selena (Alvarez) and the rest of our team are playing great balls and giving us space, it allows us to get the goals. Getting ahead in the first 20 minutes was exciting and set the tone for us throughout the match. It helped us keep the pressure up the whole time."

The first goal of the match came in the fifth minute. Haley Mendel sprinted by the defense on over the top pass from defender Shay Williams and beat Fort Lewis' Caitlyn Espinosa for her first goal of the season. It is Williams' first assist of the year.

"Shay played it over the top and she played a perfect ball right in front of the goalie," Mendel said. "I was able to take the pass and put it in the left corner of the goal."

Mendel added her second goal in the 14^th minute of the first half on a pass from Selena Alvarez. The junior dribbled around a defender and buried it in the back of the net for a 2-0 advantage. It is Mendel's ninth goal of her career and her third career multi-goal match.

"On the second goal, Selena played a great ball," Mendel said. "I turned and Sierra (Anderson) and Tiffany (Dang) did a great job of pulling the other defenders away from me. I was able to beat the goalkeeper in the left corner again."

Shantel Wittke was credited with her first shutout of the season and the 11^th of her career. The senior made four saves in net with three coming in the second half. Mendel led the team with three shots while Sierra Anderson and Kathleen Keoughan added two. Elizabeth Rodriguez, Alvarez, Lauren Perry and Payton Shlemon each took one shot.

Angelo State returns to action on Saturday at 12 p.m. against Colorado Mesa in Grand Junction, Colo.