CHRIS CODUTO/Arizona Daily Wildcat Forward Candice Wilks cuts around a Kent State player earlier this season.

Despite having last year's leading scorer roaming the sideline with a nagging ankle injury, Arizona soccer hasn't had much trouble getting its offense going this season ÷ only yesterday, the scoreboard finally reflected it.

The Wildcats (2-3) got themselves back into the win column yesterday following a 2-1 victory over Northern Arizona in Flagstaff.

Arizona outshot the Lumberjacks by an overwhelming 17-4 margin, including an 8-3 edge in shots on goal and a 9-1 advantage in corner kick opportunities. The Wildcats have managed to outshoot their opponents in all five games this season.

Setting up offensive plays has been no problem for UA, but the team's weakness thus far has been its inability to finish off opponents. For just the second time this season, the squad was not only able to register more shots, but also more goals, as sophomore midfielder Mallory Miller got the Wildcats going with a goal in the 43rd minute.

"In the first half, I thought we created some really good chances," UA head coach Dan Tobias said after the win. "It felt good going into halftime knowing that we'd be up a goal."

After NAU's Jesyca Rosholt countered with a goal midway into the second half to tie the game at one, junior forward Candice Wilks notched the game-winner off a pass from junior Vanesha Bailey with eight minutes to go.

"In the second half, we didn't give too much defensively," Tobias said. "They got a chance and got the equalizer. Our response was to keep creating chances and we did that well."

Wilks continues to lead the Wildcats in both goals and points after scoring her fourth goal in five games against the Lumberjacks.

"We're getting (Wilks) the ball in some pretty good situations where she gets isolated one-on-one," Tobias said. "When she does that, she gets better room to operate. She's so athletic and has such great speed."

An ankle injury once again benched forward Kelly Nelson for the game. Nelson led the Wildcats with 13 goals last season, earning the sophomore forward second-team All-Pacific 10 Conference honors.

Tobias said Nelson, who was also kept out of the Nike Tiger Invitational at Missouri last week, is still day-to-day as the team prepares for Friday's home game against nationally-ranked Kentucky.

"She's doing everything possible (to get back)," Tobias said. "We have to work with the people that are healthy, though, and it's a chance to get others some playing time. It's going to give us the best of both worlds when she does come back."

In Nelson's absence, Wilks has shouldered much of the load, with Miller, freshman Erin Bevacqua, sophomore Lisa Kosena and junior Vanesha Bailey picking up the rest of the scoring load.

Freshman midfielder Lauren Winters and sophomores Jennifer Klein, Erin Clewett and Traci Adler have been instrumental for Arizona in pushing the ball upfield ÷ giving the team its numerous scoring chances through its first three weekends.

Junior goalkeeper Krystal Werges, junior Lindsey Peeples and senior Lindsey Greenwood have anchored the defense.