YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – VMI goalkeeper Sydnie Bligh made nine saves, but the Youngstown State Penguins broke a 0-0 tie early in the second half and went on to defeat the Keydets, 2-0, in non-conference women's soccer action Friday night in Youngstown, Ohio.

After the two teams had battled through a scoreless first half, the Penguins (1-2) got on the board in the opening minute of the second half. Kathy Baquero scored from six yards out off a Keydet turnover, beating Bligh to the goalkeeper's left, to make it a 1-0 game. Macey Riese added a goal off a corner kick in the 56th minute to make it a 2-0 contest, and that would prove to be the final margin.

The two teams traded shots over the first 4:57 of the match, with VMI's Sam Boney missing wide in the fifth minute to keep the match scoreless. YSU then posted the final 13 shots of the half, but could only put four on cage and Bligh was up to the task on all four, sending the match to halftime scoreless.

After Baquero put YSU ahead early in the second half, Bligh made three saves in a span of just over six minutes, culminating with a stop at 54:56 that kept it a one-goal match. Off that stop, however, the Penguins earned a corner kick and Riese converted off a Katie Hohmann try, making it 2-0 for the home team. That would prove to be the final score, as the Keydets dropped to 1-1 on the year.

In the setback, YSU held a 29-1 edge in shots and an 8-0 advantage in corner kicks, while VMI made all of the match's nine saves.

VMI women's soccer returns to action Wednesday, facing former Big South foe Longwood in Farmville, Va. Action gets underway at 6 p.m.