ANDERSON, S.C. - With two first-half goals from freshman Kenzie Van Heusen and a pair of second-half goals from newcomer Idoia Agirre, Anderson University women's soccer opened its 2015 campaign on a high note with a 4-0 rout over Shorter Thursday afternoon at Trojan Stadium.
With the victory, the Trojans claim their second straight win in a home opener under head coach Ciaran Traquair and move to 1-0 on the season. The Lady Hawks, who also opened their regular season on Thursday, drop to 0-1.
"I am delighted with how we went about our business today," Traquair said. "We controlled the tempo and were very dominant in the possession. We were very attacking minded and created chances from many different areas of the field and that is what we want from our team."
The Trojan offense shined throughout the contest, posting 29 shots, including 18 in the final 45 minutes. Leading the way in the shot category was Agirre with 11, headlined by nine on goal. Van Heusen followed with seven shots and three shots on goal. Fellow newcomer, Marie Yasmine Alidou added three shots with two troubling the Shorter goalkeeping duo of Haley Lademann and Alden Powell.
Van Heusen gave the Trojans early momentum in the eighth minute when AU was awarded a penalty kick after she was fouled inside the Lady Hawk box. The freshman made the most of the opportunity and slotted a shot to into the back of the net for the match's first goal. For Van Heusen, the goal was her first collegiate tally of her career.
The freshman continued her scoring streak in the 18th minute
when she was fed a pass from teammate Alaina Gay. Just outside the
18-yard box, Van Heusen struck a high shot over the head of
Lademann and into the top-right corner. With the goal, the
Homestead, Fla. native becomes the second freshman to score twice
in a home opener in consecutive seasons, as then-freshman Rachael
Whaling netted two goals in the 2014 home opener against Southern
Wesleyan.
Agirre closed out AU's scoring in the 72nd and 89th minutes to give Anderson the 4-0 triumph. Agirre's final goal of the match came from a free kick just outside the Shorter box.
Freshman goalkeeper Abby Helm claims her first collegiate win between the posts, as she ended the afternoon with three saves in the clean sheet.
"I am extremely pleased for those who got on the scoresheet and for keeping a clean sheet at the back," Traquair added. "It's a fantastic way to start a season and I will challenge the girls to kick on and continue to get better."
The Trojans look to continue their winning way on Saturday when they hit the road for the first time and head to Southern Wesleyan. Kick-off from Central, S.C. is scheduled for 6 p.m.
