CARLINVILLE, IL – The Panthers' Women's Soccer team traveled to Blackburn College on Saturday for an afternoon kickoff and returned home with a 5-0 victory to improve to 2-2 in SLIAC play.
In what proved to be a dominant game of possession, the Panthers would get started early with a Dafne Muniz finish as the result of a goal-mouth scramble following a Principia corner kick. The scrappy tap-in was Muniz's second goal in as many games. The visitors would keep the pressure in the Blackburn half for the majority of the first half but wouldn't get on the score sheet again until after halftime.
It only took seven minutes in the second half for Principia's possession to pay off once more. Mirsa Boyer collected the ball on the right wing from Kaija Ufert and split the Blackburn defense with a pass to Kaylee Kleist. Kleist's cutback found Adriana Rucks, whose attempt on goal was deflected to an alert Boyer. The midfielder took one touch to settle the bouncing ball and with her second, fired the second goal of the game into the Blackburn net.
Principia would add to their tally in the 59th minute, after a driving run from Viviane de Castro drew a foul in the home team's box. De Castro calmly converted the spot kick, scoring her fourth goal of the week and putting the Panthers ahead by three.
Not satisfied with the score, the Panthers continued pushing forward, sending ball after ball into the Blackburn defense. On one clearance, Olivia Scott stepped out and poked the ball away from an onrushing defender towards Boyer. The junior pivoted with the ball, cut past one defender, and spotted the goalkeeper off her line. A controlled 30-yard chip found the top corner and gave Boyer her second brace of the season.
Only two minutes later, the Panthers would score their final goal of the game, this time from Kaija Ufert. After finding space off a throw in, the defender ripped a shot over the Blackburn keeper's outstretched hands and into the top of the goal for her second tally of the week.
The Principia defense recorded their first shutout since the opening day of the season, and Renea Garza earned her first clean sheet as a Panther goalkeeper.
Up Next: Principia hosts Spalding University at 6:00 pm on Thursday, September 29th.
