GREAT FALLS, Mont. – With Lady Argo soccer's playoff hopes hanging in the balance, freshman Eme McLaughlin played her best game of the season, scoring two second half goals in a 2-0 win for UGF over Oregon Tech. The win was first home win for the Lady Argos since moving to Argo Field on the UGF campus.
 
"This was a good win for the team and also good to get our first win at Argo Field," UGF Head Coach Brian Clarke said. "Eme did a great job with two class finishes when we needed them."
 
The first half was about as even as could be, with each team finishing the 45 minutes with 6 shots, and 3 shots on goal. Two of UGF's 3 shots on goal came during hard Lady Argo push to start the game. Both McLaughlin and senior captain Katelyn Duncan challenged the OIT goalkeeper in the first seven minutes.
 
McLaughlin continued to be a threat that the Owls struggled to contain, getting another shot on goal in the 41st minute.
 
The freshman wasted no time in the second half, putting a 3rd shot on goal 43 seconds in before finally finding her finishing touch just seconds later. At the 45:55 mark, McLaughlin received a pass from sophomore Katie Bennett, shooting from 20 yards out and placing the ball over the Owl keeper and into the left side of the net.
 
Both teams traded some jabs for the next 35 minutes, with OIT starting to outshoot and out possess the Lady Argos. Then McLaughlin struck again.
 
This time it was a run down the left wing, out running her defender as she curled her run to the near post. When she got close enough to force the Oregon Tech keeper off her line, the freshman set a chip shot over the keeper and into the right corner of the net.
 
While UGF ended the game with only 15 shots to OIT's 21, the Lady Argo defense did a good job limiting those shots to rather benign efforts. Nine of those shots required saves from UGF's keeper, Kyra Dorvall, but many of those were routine plays.
 
UGF's second goal was assisted by junior transfer Becca Wendt, for her first points of the season.
 
The win was a crucial one for the Lady Argos who are hanging just above the 8-team cut for the Cascade College Conference playoffs. The entered the day in a 3-way tie for 7th place, meaning one of those three teams will be the odd one out, but the three points help but still put UGF in a precarious place.
 
With 10 total points, the Lady Argos are now in a 2-way tie for 7th with a conference record of 3-6-1, and sit above Northwest Christian (2-5-1) and Warner Pacific (2-6-1) who each have 7 points. The problem is that UGF has just one more chance for points, a home game on October 22 at 1 p.m. against 7-1 Southern Oregon, while Northwest Christian has three games left to earn points, and Warner Pacific has two.
 
Those teams won't finish up conference play until October 29th, so the Lady Argos may have to wait till then to know their playoff fate.