LIMA, Ohio – Behind Hayley Gilliam's goal early in the second half, the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology women's soccer team came away with a 1-0 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference victory over Bluffton at Lima Senior High School.

Gilliam (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville) connected on her third goal of the season just two minutes into the second half, as her shot from inside the box found the back of the net in the 48th minute. Junior teammate Haley O'Neil (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) tallied her team-leading fourth assist of the year on the play, as she brought the ball down to the end line and delivered a line-drive cross to Gilliam, who finished it inside the back post.

The Engineers (5-2-4, 1-0 HCAC) held off the Beavers for the rest of the contest, as the Bluffton finished the game with a 9-7 shot advantage. Sophomore goalkeeper Lucinda Combs (Danville, Ky./Boyle County) stopped four shots in the match to pick up her seventh shutout of 2013.

Junior Margaret Murphy (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie) made a crucial defensive play late in the contest, when Bluffton's corner kick resulted in a shot that Combs couldn't fully corral. With the Beavers threatening to tie the match, Murphy cleared the ball off the back line to end the scoring chance.

O'Neil and Gilliam led the Engineers with three shots each. Rose-Hulman held a slight advantage in corner kicks for the match, 3-2.

The Engineers return the field for a HCAC matchup at Anderson Tuesday, with the match slated to begin at 7 p.m.