BANNER ELK – In what has become a trend for the UNC Pembroke women's soccer team, the Braves played to a 1-0 score for the fourth-consecutive match to begin the 2016 campaign, this time toppling Lees-McRae Monday evening at Lawson Tate Field.

The Braves (2-2) have rebounded from an 0-2 start to the year, winning the last two contests to run their record to .500, while the Trojans (2-6) have now dropped two-straight contests, Monday's being the first at home after a seven-game road trip to open the season.

The match's lone tally came in the 32nd minute off a UNCP corner kick. Kate Weisner received the corner and fired a shot off the crossbar. Katie Watkins was in the right place at the right time, taking the rebound and depositing it into the back of the net, her first goal of the season and 11th of her career. It's Weisner's first assist of the year and third as a Brave.

UNCP has now recorded more shots than its opponent in all four tilts this season, firing 14 shots to Lees-McRae's five. All five Trojan shots were on goal, while the Black & Gold put six on net. 

"This is four games in a row now that we've dominated our opponent statistically," head coach Lars Andersson said. "We've scored both goals off set pieces, which is something we pride ourselves on."

But Andersson knows there is still work to be done.

"We have to get more goals from the flow of play," he said. "However, this was a business trip and we got the job done. I'm really proud of the girls. We are still working on some things and we will continue to improve from here."

Freshman goalkeeper Gina Ryan notched her second-consecutive shutout for the Braves, and has now gone 199 minutes without surrendering a goal. Ryan leads all Peach Belt Conference (PBC) goalkeepers in goals against average (0.29) and save percentage (.917).

The Braves open conference play and the home portion of their schedule Wednesday, a 1 p.m. battle with Clayton State (4-1, 1-0 PBC) at Varsity Grounds. UNCP took down the Pacers 3-1 on the road last season behind a hat trick from Courtney Crump.