GREENVILLE Pa. - Six different players scored as the Washington & Jefferson women's soccer team posted a dominant 9-0 shutout victory over hosting Thiel College Wednesday evening in the Presidents' Athletic Conference opener for both teams.
The victory improves W&J to 5-1-1 overall while Thiel drops to 1-5-1 overall.
The 5-1-1 start remains the best opening to the season for the Presidents since 2015. The nine goals Wednesday were the most by W&J in a conference game since scoring nine in a win over Thiel on Oct. 20, 2015.
First-year Maura Heberle (Hookstown, Pa. South Side Beaver) registered her first collegiate hat trick in the victory. Katie Brown (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) scored a pair of first half goals.
The Presidents found the back of the net early and often in the first half. Kendall Obley (Buena Vista, Pa. / McKeesport) started the scoring in the fifth minute of play off of an assist from Ana Maria Duenas (Quito, Ecuador University San Francisco De Quito). Just about two minutes later Sydney Hoover (Lancaster, Pa. Manheim Township) would fire one past the Thiel goalie unassisted to give the Presidents a 2-0 leg up on the Tomcats.
Brown would then tally the next two goals for W&J, one off an assist from Kayla Daugherty (Prospect, Pa. Slippery Rock Area) in the 14th minute before adding an unassisted tally in in the 27th minute. Heberle scored the next two goals unassisted to swell the W&J lead to 6-0 at halftime. Heberle's first half scores came in the 30th minute and 41st minute, respectively.
Skylar Bibbee (Fairfax, Va. Chantilly) would add to the Presidents' lead when she scored off an assist from Amiee Toscano (Gilbertsville, Pa. / Boyertown Area) in the 58th minute to make the score 7-0. Duenas, the reigning PAC Newcomer of the Week, got into the scoring act herself with a goal in the 75th minute. Selah Calacan (Waldorf, Md. North Point) served up the assist on the Duenas strike.
In the 84th minute of play, Heberle finished off her first collegiate hat trick with an unassisted goal that closed out the scoring.
The Presidents dominated the game in every fashion. The Red and Black held lopsided advantages in shots (34-0) and corner kicks (11-0).
Aside from Heberle's hat trick, W&J had several others put a dent in the scoring column. Brown posted two goals while Duenas finished with a goal and an assist. Six Presidents scored and nine members of the squad recorded at least one point.
Abby Hipkins (Canonsburg, Pa. / Canon-McMillan) picked up the win in goal for the Red & Black.
W&J will welcome Saint Vincent to Alexandre Stadoum on Saturday, Sept. 23. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
