EMU Women’s Soccer took down Hollins in a convincing 6-0 shutout to get their first win of the season. Four different Royals found the back of the net, including two goals from sophomore Leah Beachy and junior Halie Mast. 

With the win, the Royals prove they can compete in the ODAC. Beachy said, “it was a good confidence booster and a reminder that we can play well against teams. It’s a matter of staying checked in and performing well against the best of ODAC.” 

Junior Aja Laun added, “the whole team was pretty excited about our win, myself included. We really needed it as a morale booster before heading into harder ODAC games. The energy we had in that game is something we hope to continue throughout our next games.

It did not take long for the Royals to get on the scoreboard. In just the 8th minute, senior Hannah Dellinger was fouled in the box, awarding EMU a penalty kick. Mast was called on to take the shot and she buried it, giving the Royals an early 1-0 lead. “We were good about getting into the box,” Mast said, “which was what helped us get those PK opportunities.”

Shortly into the second half, Mast netted her second goal of the game in the 54th minute on an assist by senior Lyndsay Harris. “The goal I finished in the second half included a good build-up. Lyndsay had a nice drop ball back to the top of the 18-yard box for me to shoot,” Mast said.  “It was making simple and smart passes as well as finding runs off the ball that made that goal happen.”

The Royals continued to create a steady attack of dangerous scoring opportunities throughout. In the 22nd minute, Beachy found space to launch a left-footed shot from outside the box. A diving Hollins keeper came up short and Beachy scored her first goal of the game. She said, “we were able to move the ball around pretty well which gave me time and space to shoot.”

Just eight minutes later, Beachy once again found the back of the net–joining Mast with two goals each. 

Two other Royals contributed to the scoring in the 6-0 win. Laun scored her first career goal, while sophomore Marissa Walker scored her second of the season. Laun’s goal came in the 41st minute on a PK. 

Laun is not used to scoring goals. Previously in her career, she’s been EMU’s starting goalkeeper, but because of limited substitutions, she’s gotten experience as a striker. “It felt really good to score a goal. I wanted one so bad. There wasn’t a doubt in my head that I wouldn’t score, which is great because most of the battle when taking a PK is confidence,” she said. “As great as it was to score, however, scoring is not as fun for me as saving shots.”

The final goal of the game came in the 60th minute from Walker. A cross across the box from junior Amiah Carter rebounded off the Hollins keeper and created the scoring chance for the Royals. “When I saw it hit the back of the net I was really happy and I immediately ran and hugged my teammates,” Walker said. “It felt pretty good to hear the announcer say my name after scoring.”

You can next find the Royals at home on Homecoming Weekend, Oct.14, vs. Roanoke.