BUENA VISTA, Va. — The Southern Virginia University women's soccer team closed out its non-conference schedule in dominant fashion, earning a resounding 8-0 shutout victory over the Royals of Regent University.
The Knights controlled the tempo from the opening whistle, showcasing their depth and offensive balance.
Ashley Hamblin opened the scoring in the 18th minute after Courtney Montes played a ball ahead to Delin Peterson, who slipped it back out to Hamblin. Hamblin then fired a shot into the top left corner to make it 1-0.
Just three minutes later, Peterson found the net herself in the 21st minute, taking a pass from Xoie Warner and unleashing a powerful strike from 21 yards out that slipped past the diving keeper to double the lead.
In the 29th minute, McKenna Currey capitalized on a rebound after a blocked Warner shot, Warner collected the loose ball and passed it to Currey where she sent it into the top right corner for a 3-0 advantage.
The Knights closed the half with another goal in the 39th minute when Montes scored from 21 yards out after a crisp pass from Warner, firing a low shot into the bottom left corner to send Southern Virginia into halftime leading 4-0.
The offense picked up right where it left off in the second half. Matia Murray scored her third goal of the season in the 59th minute after Currey threaded a pass through defenders, allowing Murray to slot it bottom right for a 5-0 lead.
Just two minutes later, Currey added her second goal of the match when Peterson and Natalie Blaser worked the ball into the corner before finding Currey inside the box, who finished calmly to make it 6-0.
In the 63rd minute, Montes notched her second of the game, this time off a deep pass from Emily Rosenbaum that freed Peterson near the corner. Peterson sent a cross into the box, and Montes powered a shot into the top right for 7-0.
The final goal came in the 88th minute when Courtney Pack played a ball into the box, where Warner slipped past the defense to finish for the final score of 8-0.
Southern Virginia completely controlled the match, outshooting the Royals 49-0 and holding a 12-0 advantage in corner kicks. Both Chloë Miller and Ruth Sumner combined for the shutout in goal.
The Knights now turn their attention to their final home match of the regular season, a marquee showdown against Brevard College on Saturday, October 25th.
The Tornadoes enter undefeated at 14-0, sitting tied with Southern Virginia (7-0) atop the USA South Conference standings.
This matchup also serves as a rematch of last year's conference semifinals, where Southern Virginia advanced past Brevard in a 3-1 penalty shootout to reach the championship match.
For more updates and details on the women's soccer team, follow @knight_wsoc on Instagram and visit knightathletics.com.
