SAN ANGELO – The convergence of an aggressive offensive approach and stifling defense resulted in a 4-0 non-conference win by the Angelo State soccer team over New Mexico Highlands on Sunday at the ASU Soccer Field.

The Rambelles (2-0) scored four or more goals for the second consecutive game for the sixth time in program history after following up on Friday's 4-2 win over Adams State and start the season with a 2-0 record for the eighth time in the 20 seasons of soccer at ASU. The two in-region games against Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference opponents came by an impressive 8-2 margin with a multitude of contributors on both sides of the ball.  

"I think we are doing a great job of getting behind the other team and playing in that space to be more effective in our attacking," ASU head coach Travis McCorkle said. "That's giving us good goal-scoring opportunities and we're taking advantage of them. It's taking a lot of pressure off of our team to get some early goals and it's building our confidence on the offensive and defensive side of the field. It all works together."

Angelo State, which scored four goals in only one game in last season's championship run, controlled the Cowgirls (1-1) from the start with Haley Mendel depositing a strike into the back of the net at the 10:42 mark of the first half off an assist from Callie Smith. ASU kept up the offensive pressure and would score again 19 minutes later with Caitlyn Conaway scoring off a cross from Elizabeth Rodriguez which gave the Rambelles a 2-0 halftime advantage.

"I think we are doing a great job of getting behind the other team and playing in that space to be more effective in our attacking," ASU head coach Travis McCorkle said. "That's giving us good goal-scoring opportunities and we're taking advantage of them. It's taking a lot of pressure off of our team to get some early goals and it's building our confidence on the offensive and defensive side of the field. It all works together."

Just four minutes into the second half, Smith went upper net on a penalty kick for the third goal and then Loni Byers struck for her career's first goal in the 84th minute off an assist from Amalia Garcia to give ASU its commanding four-goal result. Smith was set up for her penalty kick after Tiffany Dang was fouled in the box as she drove the ball toward the NMHU goal.

"I think we're finally realizing how good we can be up top," Conaway said. "In the past we haven't scored that many goals, maybe one or two, but we're really confident and we're coming out and showing it."

ASU recorded its first shutout of the season behind the strong goalkeeping play of Shantel Wittke who had seven saves and the presence of defenders Conaway, Lauren Perry, Ashley Exford, Brittany Martinez along with the combination of midfielders and forwards putting an emphasis on reestablishing ASU possession.

"We didn't let down at all," said Wittke, who recorded her career's first shutout in goal at ASU. "We never took any breaks on defense and we just did our best to get the ball out of the back."

  "I thought our defenders did a great job of communicating together and keeping it simple," McCorkle said. "But I also thought our midfielders and forwards did a great job of coming back to help. When you get everyone on the team going to the ball, you're doing everything you can to give yourself a chance of getting a shutout."

New Mexico Highlands, which battled the Rambelles to a 1-1 draw last season in Las Vegas, N.M., returned home with a 1-1 season-opening record after earning a 4-0 win over UTPB on Friday but then seeing the reverse fate in San Angelo. NMHU put seven shots on goal with Mallory Bostic leading the Cowgirl offense with four shots on goal and Sarah Beecher making it less of a deficit with three saves in goal.

Mendel, who did not have a goal in her freshman season, now has three goals in the first two games of the 2014 season and led the Rambelles with three shots on Sunday. Byers, who scored her career's first goal, added three offensive threats to the NMHU goalkeeper and Brianne Brown had two shots. The assists from Smith, Rodriguez and Garcia, were also their first career points.

Angelo State will return to action next weekend by staying in-region against RMAC opponents Fort Lewis and Colorado Mesa. The Rambelles will meet up with the two Colorado schools on the campus of Dallas Baptist University. The first neutral field game will pit ASU against FLC at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 11  before a contest against the Mavericks at noon on Saturday.