MIRAMAR, Fla. – The No. 3 Southeastern University women's soccer team got back in the win column Saturday afternoon, cruising to a 9-0 win over the Florida Memorial University Lions.
After a quiet opening 10 minutes of play, the Fire struck in the 12
th minute, as redshirt-freshman forward
Summer Rusher finished a short pass from junior midfielder
Bania Duran to put SEU ahead 1-0.
In the 17
th minute, sophomore midfielder
Kristal Pesina played a through ball to graduate midfielder
Gabriella DiDio, which DiDio powered past the FMU back line into the back of the net.
Rusher stripped the ball away from a juggling Lions' defender in the 20
th minute and crushed the ball far post to put SEU ahead 3-0.
The Ludgershall, England native finished the contest with a seven-point game, registering two goals and three assists. The first of those helpers came in the 36
th minute on a short cross in the box to junior forward
Rachel Wallace, who netted her first goal of the season.
"It was a good team performance today. Everyone pulled their weight and played unselfishly out on the field," commented Rusher.
Rusher earned her second assist in the 40
th minute, crossing the ball to freshman defender
Gabriela Labrador, who scored the first goal of her collegiate career.
The Fire took a 5-0 lead into the half.
"We had a slow start but we have a lot of players banged up. I am pleased with how so many players who don't normally get a lot of minutes stepped for us today," shared Head Coach
Randy Belli.
Sophomore forward
Aisha Solorzano converted a penalty kick in the 51
st minute to put the Fire up 6-0. This marked the ninth set piece goal of the season for SEU.
DiDio found the back of the net for the second time in the match in the 56
th minute, rocketing in a through ball from Rusher.
Pesina netted her two goals on the day in the final 14 minutes of play, the first coming in the 76
th minute with a header off the free kick from sophomore defender
Asela Madson.
Pesina's second score came with three seconds remaining in regulation, finishing a cross from Wallace.
The Fire did not surrender a shot to Florida Memorial in the second half.
Southeastern treks on in Sun Conference play, as the Fire host the Thomas University Night Hawks next Wednesday night. Match time is set for 7:00 p.m.
