MARYVILLE – Maryville made the most of its first match on home turf with a 7-0 whitewash of Spalding here Friday night.
The match highlighted Day 1 of the Maryville College Invitational, with Covenant and Transylvania playing to a 1-1 draw in the opener.
The Scots scored four goals in the opening 45 minutes.
Sierra Lee headed home her first of the season in the ninth minute off a perfect corner kick from
Hannah Smoot.
Avery Brown then scored two in a row, first stealing an attempted clear and scoring from outside the box and then pouncing on a fumbled corner kick and poking it home from 2 yards out.
Maryville led 3-0 just 23 minutes into the match.
Katie O'Brien scored her second of the season when
Maquel Besson lofted a pass into the box and
Delaney Muldoon headed it forward. O'Brien was in perfect position at the left post, and she redirected it home for a 4-0 margin at halftime.
The first-year corps took over in the second half, scoring all three goals and both assists.
Maddie Avery, Smoot and then
Taylor Martin netting the first goals of their collegiate careers, with
Elle Fair assisting on Avery's goal and Besson notching her second assist of the match.
Avery tallied off a free kick from Fair, who played it far post for the redirect. Smoot in the 61st minute drew a penalty and then converted from the spot into the upper right corner. And Martin scored her first on a one-timer from 12 yards out straight off Besson's volley into the box.
"It was great to get everyone into the match and have so many contributions up and down the lineup," Maryville associate head coach
Jon Baker said. "We have been stressing that in practice, that it's going to take the entire team this year, and you saw it in action tonight."
The Scots with the victory improved to 3-0-0, matching the program's best start to a season since 2001. Only the 1991 squad at 4-0-0 began a season better.
Spalding is now 1-1-0.
The Scots outshot Spalding 22-5 and posted a 6-3 edge in corner kicks. Maryville also held a 60 percent to 40 percent edge in possession.
Sophie Turner and
Sydney Mahr split the duties in goal, and both made two saves. Turner picked up the victory, her third of the young season.
The Maryville College Invitational concludes Saturday, with Maryville taking on Transylvania in the second match at approximately 6 p.m. Covenant and Spalding meet in the opener at 4.
