PHOTO BY CHAD DRURY/OTTUMWA COURIER • Marshalltown’s Olivia Arneson, right, tries to free herself from Ottumwa’s Elisabeth Modalen in a battle for the ball during Thursday’s match at Eric Wertheim Memorial Field in Ottumwa. The Bobcats picked up a 3-0 victory.

OTTUMWA — The Marshalltown High School girls soccer team may be hitting its stride at just the right time.

On the heels of their first win of the season against Des Moines North, the Bobcats received a goal from Juliana Ibarra, Trinity See and McKenna Major in a 3-0 win over Ottumwa Wednesday at Eric Wertheim Memorial Field.

Marshalltown (2-12), which lost its first 12 games before defeating North last week, is taking a winning streak into the postseason.

“I think the girls have figured out their roles and what they need to do to be successful,” Bobcats coach Stacy Galema said. “We just kept staying aggressive. Ottumwa was playing a couple girls high, so we were able to play a little longer in the midfield.”

Avygail Smith had four saves in posting the shutout, and was rarely tested. Ottumwa’s Joselyn York had a bulk of the Bulldogs’ (3-11) scoring chances, mostly in the first half, with the best chance coming off a deflection that went over the cross bar with just over 18 minutes left in the half.

Marshalltown broke through in the 26th minute, when Diocelin Monge took an initial shot that Ottumwa goalkeeper Dalice Aguilar turned aside, but the ball bounced behind and Ibarra poked in the rebound for a 1-0 lead.

The Bobcats added on less three than three minutes into the second half, as See took a cross from Isabel Ibarra and shot it diagonally past Aguilar. Major then scored her goal with just over eight minutes left, netting one off of a free kick with an assist to Isabel Ibarra.

“We’ve struggled to score, but we’ve also played a lot of tough competition,” Galema said.

Marshalltown opens Class 3A regional play Wednesday at Waukee, while Ottumwa visits Indianola in a 3A regional opener Saturday.