RADFORD EXPLODES FOR DOMINANT CONFERENCE-OPENING VICTORY

Saturday, September 24

Rock Hill, SC

1PM

Radford University

3-4

Winthrop

3-6

Team	1	2	Final F
Radford	3	2	5
Winthrop	0	2	2

Photo by: Winthrop Media Relations

RADFORD EXPLODES FOR DOMINANT CONFERENCE-OPENING VICTORY

9/24/2016 3:41:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

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ROCK HILL, S.C. – The Radford women's soccer team started off Big South Conference play with a bang Saturday afternoon scoring the match's first five goals and cruising to a dominating 5-2 rout over host Winthrop.

The Highlanders (3-4, 1-0) tallied a season-high three goals in the first half alone en route to earning their first road win of the season and taking their conference opener for the third time in four seasons.

Five different Radford players scored the goals and seven recorded a point, led by reigning Big South Freshman of the Week Nelia Perez, who notched her first career multi-point game with a goal and an assist.

Jasmine Casarez, Nicole Ray, Jessica Wollmann and Miranda Carlson also found the back of the net as the five-goal output was the most in a Big South game since a 5-1 win over Longwood in 2014. That was also the last time RU scored three goals in a half against a conference opponent.

Radford found plenty of space against the Winthrop defense early and continually got behind the Eagles' backline, beginning with Wollmann's run up the right side in the in the sixth minute that led to a shot toward the far corner which forced a diving save by keeper Karly Gustafson.

Gustafson could not keep the Highlanders off the board long, though, as Perez set up Casarez for her third goal of the season in the 15th minute. The speedy freshman got loose on a run up to the right endline and fed a centering pass inside the six-yard box to the back post where Casarez was there to put it in the open side.

Perez then found the net herself in the 22nd minute to make it 2-0. She took a pass from defender Emily Dunn, dribbled ahead to the right corner of the 18-yard box and ripped a shot into the upper left corner for her second goal in three games.

Ray then counted her first collegiate tally in the 34th minute. Once again, it was a lead pass that set up the play, this time from Abby Gardner up the left slot. Ray beat her defender to her the ball, dribbled away and fired a shot into the upper near side.

Radford kept the onslaught going to start the second half as Wollmann put two shots on goal in the first eight minutes and then got one into the net in the 62nd. Casarez started the play with a steal from behind in the Eagles' defensive third. The ball then bounced around near the top of the box and Wollmann pounced on it with a low shot into the left side for her second of the year.

The Highlanders' capped their scoring exactly four minutes later as Carlson converted off a free kick by Hannah Duff, beating the goalkeeper to the ball to deflect it toward the line and putting it into the open net. It was the first career goal for the senior.

Radford finished the game with a 14-9 shots advantage, although six of Winthrop's came after the Highlanders had scored their final goal. RU had by far its most accurate performance of the season, putting 12 of the attempts on frame, including all four by Wollmann. Eight other Highlanders recorded at least one shot attempt.

Winthrop got on the board in the 80th minute and added the final score in the 90th. Courtenay Kaplan recorded three saves, one of them a leaping tip over the bar with the game still scoreless.

"It's great to get the first win in conference, especially on the road," Radford head coach Ben Sohrabi said. "We have t finish the game in a more professional manner and get a shutout. But that being said, we played 80 minutes with a lot of quality defensively and attacking. It was a balanced team effort."

Radford finishes off its three-game road swing Wednesday night at UNC Asheville, with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m.

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