Rochester, Mich. (Sept. 26, 2003) ???C Oakland???s women???s soccer team put the thunder in the Thunderbirds today at the OU Soccer Fields rolling over Southern Utah to a 4-0 victory. Senior Shelly Piccirillo (Niagara Falls, Ont.) continued her offensive dominancy to score the game winner in the 21st minute. With the win, Oakland improves their overall record to 5-3-1 while remaining undefeated in conference action (2-0). Oakland started to apply pressure at the opening whistle and had many chances early on before Piccirillo put the ball away. Piccirillo had beaten Thunderbird keeper Megan Flowers in the opening 15 minutes off a cross and flick from Therese Bjorke (Lovenstad, Norway) and Silje Peltopera (Karasjok, Norway) however, Piccirillo was called offsides and the goal called back. Then in the 20th minute, freshman Lisa-Marie Woods (Oslo, Norway) charged the defense and beat them as well as Flowers only to be rejected by the left post. However, Piccirillo would then find the back of the net once again just less than two minutes later for the game winner when Marianne Samdal (Tiller, Norway) slid a ball on top of the 18 yard box. Samdal received the ball from Peltopera and dribbled through the SUU defense where she then gave the ball to Piccirillo who easily put the ball past Flowers. Samdal was again in action eight minutes later when she scored her second goal of the season. Senior midfielder Erica Demers (Wellend, Ont.) received a pass from Woods where she then put a ball over the top of SUU???s defense onto a running Samdal who popped the ball over Flowers on the left side and into the back of the net. Demers closed out the scoring action in the first half when she capitalized on a penalty kick at the 41:37 minute mark. The kick came after Demers took a corner kick that found Samdal in the box. Samdal was fouled by Fowlers and awarded the penalty. The goal was Demers first goal of the season. Piccirillo looked as if she were to get her second and third goals of the game with 20 minutes to play when she was sent on two breakaways just five minutes apart. However, Fowlers made one of her seven saves on the one shot and the other shot went high as Piccirillo attempted to chip the ball. Oakland then closed the scoring with 13 minutes left in the game with a goal by senior Beth Howson (Grosse Pointe, Mich.). Howson scored on the six yard line and flicked the ball over Flowers??? head. Demers had taken a free kick on the left side of the 18-yd. box where the ball bounced and Howson managed to beat Flowers to the ball and put her foot on it and send it to the mesh. Overall, the Golden Grizzlies were busy offensively and very creative in their play ???C summing up nearly 30 shots and taking eight corners. Oakland???s defense made it easy for goalkeepers Sarah Buckland (Burlinton, Ont.) and Amber Gale (Flushing, Mich.) who only faced two shots the entire game. Head coach Nick O???Shea was pleased with the team???s third straight victory and first home game of the season. ???We played very well in the first half??? commented O???Shea after the game. ???It???s good to see the team do what we???ve been working on all week in practice. The girls created a lot of chances and we finished on some great goals.??? Heading the team???s offensive effort was Demers who tallied four points on the afternoon with one goal and two assists. The team???s next match is on the road against another conference opponent, Western Illinois. The game is set for 4:00 p.m. in Macomb, Illinois.