Amanda Williams (Millsboro, De./Delmarva Christian) highlighted a great team effort with her first collegiate hat trick, as EMU's soccer women rolled to a 7-0 thumping of Sweet Briar College in Harrisonburg Wednesday night.  The Royals dominated play the entire 90 minutes for their first win of the young season.

Williams kicked things off with a score in the seventh minute, taking an assist from Morgan Hill (Martinsville, Va./Carlisle) on a quick breakaway.  Emma Petersheim (Linville, Va./Eastern Mennonite) set Williams up with a great through ball in the 12th minute, with the shot adding a little drama as it glanced in off the right post.

Petersheim picked up an assist on the next goal as well, as she cut to the right end line and sent a beautiful cross along the face of the goal.  Hill tapped it in on the weak side, putting EMU up 3-0 in the 22nd minute.

Williams nearly scored 35 seconds into the second half, but a breakaway shot bounced off the cross bar.  The sophomore kept her head and completed the hat trick one minute later, launching an aerial one-timer on a long pass from Allie Sawyer (Timberville, Va./Broadway).  Elisa Ott (Lancaster, Pa./Penn Manor) also picked up an assist on the play, setting up Sawyer's one-touch pass.

Rachel Sturm (Denton, Md./North Caroline) joined the party in the 51st minute, when she took a pass up the left side, side-stepped SBC's keeper and hit the net for a 5-0 lead.

The final two goals came in the final 1:01, as a pair of newcomers finished things off.  Junior Mary Deskins (Winchester, Va./Handley) connected with an assist from freshman Logann Braun (Hagerstown, Md./North Hagerstown) just before the final minute sounded.  Braun then notched her first career goal with 16 seconds left, as she picked up a loose ball in front of the net and pounded it home.

Keeper Becca Borg (Gig Harbor, Wash./Peninsula) had a quiet first half in the goal to earn the win.  Brianna Stanard (Spotsylvania, Va./Spotsylvania) played the second 45 minutes and collected one save.

After splitting their two-game home stand and scoring a combined nine goals, the Royals must keep the momentum going on the road.  A three game stretch starts at Hood College this Saturday afternoon.  Their ODAC opener is next Wednesday at Roanoke.

Coach Ted Erickson talks about how the team worked together for the win over SBC: