SUPERIOR, Wis. -- Sophomore Gavin Watkinson (Lakeville, Minn./Farmington Area) scored a goal and an assist to lead the UW-Superior men's soccer team to a 2-0 non-conference victory over Bethel at NBC Spartan Sports Complex on Wednesday.
 
Watkinson, a midfielder and transfer from Ripon, scored his first collegiate goal in the 38th minute and assisted on senior Blake Perry's (Anoka, Minn./Anoka) tally with 12 minutes remaining.
 
Sophomore goalkeeper Alex Paredes (Mequon, Wis./Homestead), making his first start of the season, stopped one first-half shot to earn his second career clean sheet.
 
 The Yellowjackets, who began to take control of play in the latter stages of the opening 45 minutes, got on the scoreboard when Watkinson cleaned up sophomore Finley Purnell's (Northampton, England/Southam College) header off the crossbar and beat Bethel goalkeeper Juan Valdivia Cortes. The helper was the second career assist for Purnell.
 
UWS held a 12-5 advantage in shots in the first half, including a 5-1 advantage in shots on goal. 
 
Superior continued to assert itself in the second half and scored an insurance marker late. On the play, Perry worked his way around a defender on the near flank, and curled a left-footed strike around Valdivia Cortes into the side netting for his second goal of the year. Watkinson assisted on the goal, which came at the 78-minute mark.
 
UWS outshot the Royals, 25-7, for the match with 12 shots on frame. Valdivia Cortes made 10 saves for Bethel, which fell to 1-1-0 with the loss. The Yellowjackets improved to 1-1-0 with the win.
 
UWS plays its next eight matches on the road beginning with a Saturday encounter with Concordia (Minn.). Kickoff at Jake Christiansen Stadium is set for 1 p.m.