LEXINGTON, KY — Transylvania women's soccer erupted for four first-half goals Wednesday night at Pat Deacon Stadium to earn a 4-0 victory over Berea College in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference action. The Pioneers improved to 7-2-3 overall and 4-0-1 in conference play, while Berea fell to 0-9-2 overall and 0-4-1 in the HCAC.
Transylvania wasted little time establishing its offensive presence, opening the scoring in the sixth minute when Teagan Fahy found the back of the net to give the Pioneers a 1-0 advantage. Less than two minutes later, Eva Blanke doubled the lead in the eighth minute off an assist from Ginger Mooser. Blanke struck again just 33 seconds later, scoring her second goal of the evening to extend the advantage to 3-0.
The Pioneers continued to apply pressure throughout the opening half. Peyton Tan, Ellie Held, and Mooser each recorded shots on goal before Blanke completed her hat trick in the 16th minute, giving Transylvania a commanding 4-0 lead. The Pioneers maintained control for the remainder of the half, outshooting Berea 11-0 and holding a 5-0 advantage in corner kicks heading into halftime.
Transylvania carried its offensive momentum into the second half, creating several opportunities to extend the lead. Held registered shots on goal in the 47th and 49th minutes, while Emersyn Cox added another attempt in the 48th minute. Gracie Carrigan forced a save from Berea goalkeeper LaDeja Driver in the 61st minute as the Pioneers continued to control possession and generate scoring chances.
Berea recorded its lone shot of the match in the 77th minute when Jessica Baird tested Olivia Baker, who made the save to preserve the shutout. Transylvania maintained its four-goal advantage through the final whistle to secure its fourth conference victory of the season.
Blanke led the Pioneers offensively with three goals on four shots, recording her hat trick in the opening 16 minutes of action. Fahy added a goal on her lone shot, while Mooser contributed an assist. Held finished with four shots, including three on goal, while Cox added two shots on target. Transylvania finished with an 18-1 advantage in shots, placing 12 attempts on goal compared to one for Berea. The Pioneers also held an 8-0 advantage in corner kicks.
Carrie Stevens, Chandler Worth, and Baker combined for the shutout in goal, with Baker recording the team's lone save. Transylvania's defensive effort limited Berea to just one shot across 90 minutes, including none in the opening half.
The Pioneers remained unbeaten in HCAC play with the victory, using four goals in the opening 16 minutes to secure the conference win at Pat Deacon Stadium.
Transylvania University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the HCAC. To keep up to date with all of Transylvania Athletics, check out our website at transysports.com and follow @TransySports on Instagram.
