JACKSON, Miss. - Â The Belhaven Women's Soccer team celebrated Senior Day in style Saturday afternoon, rolling to a commanding 6-0 victory over Wesleyan (Ga.) at Belhaven Bowl Stadium.
The win improves the Blazers to 7-3-2 overall and 4-1-0 in conference play, marking their fourth win in the last five matches as they continue their strong push through conference schedule.
The Blazers wasted little time energizing the Senior Day crowd, breaking through in just the sixth minute when
Kelly McLaughlin converted a close-range chance to make it 1-0. Belhaven doubled its lead in the 17th minute as
Emma Antonoplos finished off a crisp setup from
Faith Gonzales for her ninth goal of the season.
The offense continued to apply pressure, peppering the opposing goalkeeper with 25 first-half shots.
Rylee Reulet added to the tally in the 38th minute with a strong finish from distance, and just minutes later,
Mia Ganote and
Alexis Whiting found the back of the net in quick succession to blow the match wide open.
Ganote scored in the 42nd minute off a well-placed cross from
Melanie Echols, and Whiting struck just over a minute later thanks to an assist from
Abby Jordan, sending Belhaven into halftime with a 5-0 advantage.
With a comfortable lead, the Blazers rotated their lineup throughout the second half, giving several seniors their moments on the pitch. The team continued to control possession, tacking on one more goal in the 52nd minute when
Lauren Snell slotted home her fourth goal of the season to make it 6-0.
Belhaven's defense was airtight, not allowing a single shot over 90 minutes. Senior goalkeeper
Ella Field earned the shutout without needing to record a save, thanks to the team's collective defensive pressure and dominance in the midfield.
Nine different Blazers registered at least one shot, and six different players scored in the victory. Antonoplos led the attack with nine shots, while Whiting, Ganote, Reulet, Snell, and McLaughlin each tallied goals in a well-balanced offensive performance.
The Blazers host Faulkner on Tuesday for their next match. Kickoff is set for 5:00 PM.
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