COLUMBIA, Ky. -- The defending NAIA National Champion Lindsey Wilson women's soccer team won its first match of the 2015 season against Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) by a 3-0 margin on Saturday night.

The top-ranked Blue Raiders (1-0) defeated the visiting No. 25-ranked Cougars (0-1) in their home opener at Walter S. Reuling Stadium.

A pair of goals from Lyana Perez bookended a goal by newcomer Yvonne Ploeg to help propel the Blue Raiders to victory.

Lindsey Wilson and Mount Vernon Nazarene were locked in a scoreless tie for the majority of the first half as the Blue Raiders, who had multiple chances, were often stifled by the play of the Cougars' keeper Ashley Flautt.

Flautt was beaten for the first time when Perez laced a shot into the upper-right-hand-corner in the 44th minute to give Lindsey Wilson a lead it would not relinquish.

Ploeg doubled the Blue Raiders' lead in the 65th minute when Amanda Kander, under pressure from a defender, made a run into the 18-yard-box before passing the ball to a streaking Ploeg, who then buried the shot into the back of the net.

Perez added her second goal of the evening just a few minutes later in the 68th when she chipped a shot over Flautt's head from the left side of the box, which landed inside the right post for the third and final goal of the evening.

The Blue Raiders outshot the Cougars 22-8 for the game, including a 13-2 shot on goal advantage.

Johanna Henrikson, who had 12 shutouts last season, recorded her first clean sheet of the year, making just a pair of saves on the night.

Prior to kickoff, the 2014 NAIA National Championship banner was unveiled on the south wall in Walter S. Reuling Stadium during the pregame ceremony.

The Blue Raiders play their second of nine preseason top-25 opponents when they take the field at Walter S. Reuling Stadium against No. 14 Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) on Aug. 31, at 7:00 p.m. CT.