Box Score THOMASVILLE, Ga. – In a resilient road effort, the No. 12 Southeastern University women's soccer team topped the Thomas University Night Hawks 7-3. The win was the first road win versus Thomas in program history.
Sophomore forward
Uchenna Kanu had a historic day for the Fire, netting a career high five goals which also eclipsed the program record for individual goals scored in a game.
The Fire posted a solid start in the early minutes, netting two goals in the first 23 minutes. The first came in the 19
th minute when freshman forward
Aisha Solorzano played a ball back to sophomore midfielder
Bania Duran at the top 18, who cut the ball to her right foot and pushed it in the back of the net for her third goal of the season.
The second score was the beginning of Kanu's historic day, as she placed her first free kick of the day from 25 yards out over the keeper's head in the 23
rd minute to put the Fire up 2-0.
The Night Hawks responded with a pair of goals in the 36
th and 39
th minutes by senior midfielder Olivia Taylor to tie things up 2-2 going into the half.
Taylor completed a hat trick in the 48
th minute to give Thomas a 3-2 advantage.
The Fire responded to being down in the second half with inspired and motivated play, fueled by Kanu, who proceeded to rattle off three goals in 15 minutes.
"Credit to the team for not putting their heads down, digging back, and coming back with a five goal second half performance. It was fantastic to see our team respond like that when they were down," shared Head Coach
Randy Belli.
The Abia, Nigeria native successfully converted her second free kick of the game in the 50
th minute, parted a sea of Thomas defenders and smashed one over the keeper's head in the 54
th minute, and was played in by sophomore defender
Melanie Peyton with a beautiful ball on the breakaway in the 65
th minute.
Peyton earned another helper in the 73
rd minute when freshman midfielder
Kristal Pesina knocked in her corner kick. The score was Pesina's first of her collegiate career.
Kanu completed her stellar performance in the 82
nd minute with her third free kick of the day that found the back of the net, this one from 30 yards out.
"I thank God for the opportunity today…The love and bond we share as a team helped us to be able to bounce back today and keep the result," commented Kanu, who is only 10 goals off the pace of the program single season record.
The Fire look to go 2-0 on the road this week when they travel to Miami to take on St. Thomas University. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m.
