GREENVILLE, Ill. -- The Greenville University women's soccer team scored four first-half goals and cruised to a 4-1 victory over Blackburn College on Saturday afternoon at Francis Field, earning its first St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference win of the season.
Greenville controlled play from the opening whistle, outshooting Blackburn 22-5 and putting 15 shots on target. The Panthers also held an 8-1 advantage in corner kicks.
Ava Pollard opened the scoring in the 16th minute, finishing a pass from
Maddie Cooke to give Greenville a 1-0 lead.
The Panthers added to their advantage midway through the first half when
Kylie Petroski came off the bench and found the back of the net in the 31st minute. Petroski struck again less than four minutes later, converting a feed from
Alexa Chavez to push the lead to 3-0.
Chavez capped the first-half scoring in the 39th minute, finishing an assist from
Ashlyn Wuebbels as Greenville carried a commanding 4-0 lead into halftime.
Greenville dominated the opening 45 minutes, holding an 18-0 edge in shots while forcing Blackburn goalkeeper Emma Zaidle to make nine saves before the break.
The Panthers continued to generate chances in the second half but were unable to add to their total despite several quality opportunities.Â
Blackburn broke through late in the match when Paige Schmelzer converted a penalty kick in the 87th minute to account for the final margin.
Petroski led Greenville with two goals, while Chavez contributed a goal and an assist. Pollard added a goal, and Cooke, Wuebbels and Chavez each recorded assists.
Idaly Valenzuela paced the Panthers with six shots.
Kadynce Jones earned the victory in goal for Greenville, making one save over 90 minutes.
The Panthers improved to 1-10 overall and 1-1 in SLIAC play. Â Greenville will continue their season on Wednesday against Westminster at 7 p.m.
