Arkansas State scored seven goals, five in the first half, to continue its winning ways as the Red Wolves soccer team defeated the Golden Lions of University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 7-0 at the ASU Soccer Complex Friday.
“I was extremely happy with the progress we have made to this point,” said Arkansas State head coach Derek Pittman. “I feel that if we would have come into this game not mentally prepared it could have been a more difficult game. But because we came into this game mentally and physically prepared it was an excellent team effort.”
Freshman forward, and Swedish import, Sofia Turesson was the second ASU player to record a hat-trick in as many games, leading all players with three goals and four shots.
Freshman midfielder Kailey Gear scored three goals in ASU's opening match against Central Arkansas on Aug. 23.
For the first time in program history, the Red Wolves soccer team has improved to 2-0-0 on the season.
Turesson scored ASU's first two goals of the match, the first coming in the 15th minute (14:25) off a header from sophomore forward Anna Kaloghirou. Turesson's second tally came in the 23rd minute (22:04) unassisted from the top of the box.
“I think that Sofia adds a level of athleticism and tactical understanding to our team that we have not had in the past. Her runs with and without the ball are just fantastic, which makes her always very dangerous,” said Pittman. “For me it is exciting to have her type of capabilities on our team. I thought she was fantastic.”
Junior midfielder Mary Geels scored the third goal of the match unassisted from 20-yards out in the center of the field in the 28th minute (27:41).
Senior midfielder Chelsea Hopkins sent a shot to freshman midfielder Elizabeth Niles who redirected the ball to junior defender Amy Koss who shot the ball into the goal in the 35th minute (34:44), notching a 3-0 lead for the Red Wolves.
ASU capped off the first half with a goal by freshman forward Kara Nitti who beat the Golden Lions goalkeeper, Bre-Ann Laypoole, to the far post on a feed from Hopkins.
Up 5-0 at the halfway mark, the Red Wolves scored two goals in under two-minutes early in the second half.
Nitti scored ASU's sixth goal in the 61st minute (60:46) on a shot that was deflected to the upper corner.
Turesson capped her three-goal performance one-minute and thirty-three seconds later on a feed from Geels and freshman midfielder Elin Stavren-Eriksson and converted the scoring chance on a shot from the top of the box to the far post.
“One of the things we worked on was being more defensively solid and attacking as a group. Our team was defensively organized and that helped us once we won the ball to move with and without the ball helping us create attacking opportunities,” added Pittman.
The Red Wolves out shot Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 27-2, taking 11 shots in the first half and 16 in the second.
Arkansas State returns to action on Sept. 5 at Centenary. Kick-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
