RADFORD – Being in the right place at the right time was the much-needed spark sophomore Maryellen Derenda (Manassas, Va./Osbourn Park) was able to deliver her team Tuesday night.

Led by Derenda's two first half goals, Radford scored three times in each half on its way to a 6-1 win over Concord in women's soccer at Cupp Stadium.

"Yeah, it was definitely a thrill," Derenda said with a big smile after the game.  "It's a good thing to be in the right place at the right time."

Derenda helped the Highlanders (3-2-0) snap a two game slide with her first two tallies of the season.  Her first came with Radford down 1-0 in the seventh minute, when junior Latrice Lee (Woodbridge, Va./Forest Park) threaded a pass to the middle for Derenda, who tied the game at 1-1.  Derenda's second was six minutes later, when senior Jill Boyer (Severn, Md./Old Mill) beat her defender on the near side and sent her a pass on an open look from close in.

"We bounced back really well from that first goal they scored," Derenda said.  "It helped us come together and finish a few that really went a long way to helping us recover from this weekend.

"And it's exactly what we needed heading into these next two games [with Longwood and American]."
 
Following a winless weekend, the sophomore helped Radford come back from an early 1-0 deficit.  Concord (3-2-0) scored on a 3-on-1 break as Lindsey DeVaughn sent a pass that Gemma Nortcliffe just outside the goal box, giving the Mountain Lions a short-lived lead.

"It was good to see Maryellen and everyone else step up early and make up for our mistake," head coach Ben Sohrabi said.  "When something like that happens, you want to answer right away."

Later in the first half, junior Jourdan McDaniel (Roanoke, Va./Cave Spring) converted on a penalty kick in the 31st minute, her second goal of the year, to give the Highlanders a 3-1 lead.

Radford added three more in the second half, highlighted by goals from freshmen Mary Wiley (Radford, Va./Radford) and Dani Gunderson (Newport News, Va./Denbigh).  Wiley's came off a steal in 61st minute, and Gunderson collected a loose ball and scored in the 75th.  For Wiley and Gunderson, it was their first career tallies.

Senior Justine Dugger (Purcellville, Va./Notre Dame Academy) gave the Highlanders a 6-1 lead in the 81st with her second goal of the season.

"We really did a good job spreading the wealth tonight," Sohrabi said.  "It's always a good thing when you can get some players to score their first career goals."

And the win snapped a two-game slide, heading into Radford's first match away from home Friday, a 7 p.m. meeting with Longwood.  The Highlanders return home to face American on Sunday at 2 p.m.

"The thing I liked tonight," Sohrabi said, "was that everyone got involved on both offense and defense, and that's what we need going into these next two games.

"Winning and scoring definitely cure problems."