WAUKESHA, Wis. - Delaney Pruitt seized the moment.
Pruitt, a 5-foot-2 sophomore forward/midfielder from Ringwood, Ill., scored what eventually became the winning goal off an assist from sophomore forward Rachel Van Sluys (Sheboygan, Wis.) in the 30th minute as the Carroll University women's soccer team defeated North Central College 2-0 in a College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin game at Schneider Stadium on Wednesday evening.
It was the third consecutive conference victory and ninth shutout of the season for Carroll, which moved into sole possession of third place in the highly-contested league standings with a 3-1-1 record and improved to 12-3-1 overall.
The Pioneers, who extended their home-field winning streak to eight games, have won five straight with four coming by shutout.
The victory took on added significance for Carroll, which remained in contention for one of of four spots in the upcoming, prestigious CCIW tournament with three conference games remaining (including a home-field finale versus Elmhurst and back-to-back road games against Carthage and Millikin). 
On the game-winning goal at the 30:35 mark, Van Sluys took possession, quickly worked down the middle of the field weaving past three defenders and delivered a crossing pass toward the left side.
Moments later, Pruitt finished the play by firing a hard, low-lining shot into the right corner.
"I was just in the right position and did my best to finish with a strong shot," said Pruitt, of her team-leading 12th goal of the season. "It all really started with the effort of our defense and the way they were able to win the ball in the back part of the field. That gave us a good chance to push forward and attempt to make something happen. Rachel always plays with a sense of urgency and did a great job of distributing the ball at the perfect time. It was great to be able to get an early goal and carry the momentum through the rest of the way."
Pruitt was quick to point out that its exciting to be unbeaten on the home turf and to be working toward a possible berth in the conference tourney.
"Having played so many home games this season, it means a lot to still be undefeated," Pruitt added. "It was one of our goals coming into the year so we would like to be able to get one more victory to accomplish it.
"It's a nice feeling knowing we're coming together, holding our own in the new conference and playing well at the right time. Now we just have to believe in ourselves, trust in our ability and see what happens the rest of the way." 
Junior forward/midfielder Sabrina Georgeff (Naperville, Ill.) contributed her sixth goal of the season off an assist from Van Sluys in the 55th minute for the Pioneers, who earned a crucial victory despite being outshot 12-8.
Freshman goalkeeper Christina O' Block (Libertyville, Ill.) was a steady force throughout the course of the evening, finishing with eight saves to preserve a shutout.
"Our main focus is on winning every game so we're trying to come out hard every time and give it our all," said O' Block, who made a critical diving save in the 50th minute. "Throughout the season, everyone has supported one another and worked hard to contribute to the team's success. It was great to come away with a shutout but I couldn't have done it alone and give all of the credit to the line of defense and their effort.
"At this point of the season, we know what has to be done so now its just a matter of competing hard for 90 minutes each time we step on the field. It would be nice to get another victory, finish undefeated at home and ring the bell one more time."
The Pioneers, who have won seven of the last eight games, have combined to outscore their opponents by an impressive 18-3 margin.
Carroll head coach Susie Foster was proud of how her team maintained its focus, worked through the pressure of its home-field winning streak and earned a third consecutive victory in the high-caliber CCIW.
"Streaks are always something special to be a part of so we've taken a lot of pride in it but don't ever expect anything to be handed to us," Foster said.  "At this point of the season, we know that every game is going to be a fight and each victory has to be earned.
"Coming into the game, North Central was sitting above us in the conference standings so to be able to come away with a victory was awesome. During the first half, things didn't exactly go our way at times but we responded to the challenge by adjusting to the situation, playing unselfishly and continuing to execute throughout the evening. It's fantastic to be in the thick of the conference race. If we maintain our focus and concentrate on each individual game, good things should keep happening. It won't be easy but we're going to work hard to keep it going."
North Central dropped to 3-2 in conference and 4-7-2 overall.