HARTSVILLE, S.C. - Led by freshman Maddie Volz's first collegiate hat trick and two goals apiece from sophomore Alaina Gay and freshman Lyssa Engle, Anderson University women's soccer cruised to a 9-0 shutout over South Atlantic Conference opponent Coker Saturday evening at the Coker Soccer Field.
The victory snaps a three-match losing skid and hands the Black and Gold its first SAC win of the season. With the triumph, the Trojans move to an even 3-3 overall and an even 1-1 mark within the conference. The Cobras stumble to 2-4 on the year and to an even mark of 1-1 in the SAC.
Anderson totaled 29 shots on the evening, marking the first time an AU side has posted over 20 shots since Sept. 5, 2012 in a 5-0 shutout win over Converse. Leading the way in the shot category was Volz who tallied nine for the evening, while seven shots went on goal. Gay and newcomer Mariana Poveda added four shots, while freshman defender Kristin Herbert notched three.
In the opening half, AU stormed out of the blocks with back-to-back goals in the first 16 minutes of action. Volz led off the scoring spree in the 12th minute when fellow newcomer Tina Leandersson fed the freshman a pass and Volz slotted a shot into the Coker goal. Minutes later, Gay scored an unassisted goal to put AU ahead, 2-0.
In the 34th minute, the Trojan attack continued to strike as Volz notched her second, while Gay followed with a 35th minute goal. Engle finally found the scoresheet in the 38th and 39th minutes, as junior Emily Cowan notched an assist in Engle's 38th minute tally. After Engle's final goal of the period, Anderson took a convincing 6-0 lead into halftime.
Volz completed her hat trick in the 71st minute when sophomore Paige Gowans-Smith connected with the Cincinnati, Ohio native for her final goal of the match. Sophomore Brooke Forrest and Cowan rounded out Anderson's scoring on the evening, as Forrest notched an unassisted goal in the 76th minute, while Cowan earned her first goal of the year when Volz totaled her second assist of the night in the 88th minute.
Facing the 29 shots, the Coker goalkeeper duo of Lizz Morris and Ashton Knopf totaled 15 saves with Morris leading the Cobras with eight. The tandem's counterpart, sophomore goalkeeper Sadie Lancaster, closed the evening with three saves, while facing four shots.
Anderson looks to continue its winning trend on Wednesday when it returns home to face Queens. Kickoff from Trojan Stadium is scheduled for 2 p.m.
