Box Score NAMPA, Idaho - Madi Taylor and Kaisa Tsuruta each scored twice as the Northwest Nazarene University women's soccer team opened the 2017 season with a 5-0 victory over Academy of Art University Thursday afternoon at the NNU Soccer Field. 

Game Boxscore

The Crusaders (1-0-0) opened with crisp passing and dominate possession in the first half, scoring the first goal in the 22nd-minute when Mabinty Kanu headed home a Madi Taylor corner just inside the back post.  

Scoring just one goal in the half, NNU's defense held the Urban Knights (0-1-0) without a shot in the opening 45-minutes of action.  The defensive effort allowed the Crusader offense to fire nine shots in the period.

"It took us a little while to settle the game down and play our style, but once we did, it was nice to see some good goals go in," commented NNU head coach Mary Trigg.  "I'm proud of our girls today."

Madi Taylor scored the first of her two goals in the 46th-minute, taking a low shot into the right side from an Ashley Cook-Cox cross just left of the box.  She added goal number two in the 54th-minute, with Brooke Felzien earning the assist.

Kaisa Tsuruta added insurance in the 73rd and 75th-minutes, finishing a deflection save off the hands of AAU goalkeeper Morgan Wirz and a well-played low right-side shot off the foot of Maddy Midstokke.  Nicolette Clark earns the assist on Tsuruta's first goal, having fired a shot into Wirz to start the action.

NNU goalkeeper Chloe Sholtz was only asked to make two saves, while AAU's Maggie Alikpala had eight and Wirz grabbed one.

The Crusaders outshot the Urban Knights 17-2 and held an 11-1 advantage in corner kicks.

Both squads will next play on Saturday afternoon as Art U will face Western State Colorado University at 11:30 a.m. and the Crusaders match up with Dixie State at 2 p.m.

Dixie State (1-0-0) defeated Western State (0-1-0) earlier on Thursday afternoon 3-0 behind the hat-trick effort of Darian Murdock.  It was the season-opening match for both teams.

Academy of Art (0-1-0) vs. Northwest Nazarene (1-0-0)
 Date: Aug 31, 2017  Attendance: 89
 Weather: Sunny, high-80's

 Goals by period       1  2  Tot
 -------------------------------
 Academy of Art......  0  0 -  0
 Northwest Nazarene..  1  4 -  5

 SCORING SUMMARY:
  1.  22:38 NNU Kanu,Mabinty (1) (Taylor,Madi) - Header off the corner from the back post
  2.  46:27 NNU Taylor,Madi (1) (Cook-Cox,Ashley) - Cross from the left side, finish low right side
  3.  54:11 NNU Taylor,Madi (Felzien,Brooke)
  4.  73:40 NNU Tsuruta,Kaisa (1) (Clark,Nicolette) - Shot saved by keeper, scored off the deflection
  5.  75:41 NNU Tsuruta,Kaisa (2) (Midstokke,Maddy) - Cross from the right side, finish low right

 Shots: Academy of Art 2, Northwest Nazarene 17
 Saves: Academy of Art 9 (Alikpala, Maggie 8; Wirz, Morgan 1),
 Northwest Nazarene 2 (Sholtz,Chloe 2)