ELECTRIFYING FIRST HALF BRINGS SKYHAWK SOCCER A THIRD STRAIGHT VICTORY OVER WRIGHT STATE

Sunday, September 5

Martin, Tenn.

1:00 PM

UT Martin

4-1-1, 0-0-0

Wright State

2-2-1, 0-0-0

Wright State

UT Martin

ELECTRIFYING FIRST HALF BRINGS SKYHAWK SOCCER A THIRD STRAIGHT VICTORY OVER WRIGHT STATE

9/5/2021 5:32:00 PM | Soccer

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MARTIN, Tenn. – Continuing their unblemished reputation when competing on their home turf through the non-conference portion of the 2021 campaign, the University of Tennessee at Martin soccer team made quick work of the Wright State Raiders on Sunday afternoon, walloping their second straight opponent by the score of 4-1 in the Skyhawks' third consecutive win as a whole.

Outscoring both North Alabama – UTM's punching bag on Thursday – and WSU by a combined margin of 8-2 over the past 72 hours, the three-headed monster of Emely van der Vliet, Jill Hildreth, and Bella Roberts proved too much to handle for the visitors, who were gashed in nearly every statistical category including a 16-5 hole in total shots taken.

By the time both teams ventured into their respective locker rooms, the Skyhawks had already gathered a four-score cushion, the highest number of goals scored by head coach Phil McNamara's unit in the past three years. UT Martin last saw a 45-minute stretch of four goals during a 10-0 sprint against Jackson State in 2018. It took the home squad all of 68 seconds to put in the first dagger on Sunday, and it was a snowball effect from that point.

All but one of the Skyhawks' swift scores came with an assist, where the first two (both coincidentally polished off by van der Vliet) resembled a textbook offensive attack. First-year forward Makayla Robinson provided the reigning Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year the perfect avenue for the Dutch to submit her first goal of the fall before the Wright State defense could even grasp what had happened, granting UTM their quickest strike of the season that will likely not be topped through the remaining 10 regular season dates.

Only ten minutes later, van der Vliet was able to make it 2-for-2 individually with another flawless feed from junior Catey Hunt, catching the Raiders out of position near midfield and hustling to the back of the net in the blink of an eye.

It would take one/fourth of a half for a UT Martin performer to notch two goals in the same match for the third bout in a row, as van der Vliet increased her personal total to nine scores in 17 appearances dating back to the spring, where the Netherlands native led the entire Ohio Valley Conference in that category.

Gallery: (9-5-2021) Soccer vs. Wright State

Hildreth and Roberts, the other two Skyhawks who had already accomplished a pair of goals in a single outing each themselves, joined the barrage in the 24^th and 44^th minutes as the route continued over the Raiders. Perhaps the most impressive solo strike of 2021 thus far, Hildreth launched the ball over numerous defenders and WSU keeper Jessika Seward from far outside the box to hand UTM an insurmountable 3-0 advantage.

Not satisfied with the already-overbearing lead, the Skyhawks flexed their muscles even more with 60 seconds left in the period. Former All-OVC member Maria Castaldo and true freshman Emma Elliott synced up for a double assist to Roberts in the waning moments of the half to position the Murfreesboro, Tenn. native with a point blank aim at the net that gently fell through.

Keeping up the intensity over the second stanza to end the day with the aforementioned 11-shot difference, UTM wasn't able to find another lane to score again, although it wouldn't matter in the long run despite the Raiders finally cracking a goal of their own just 58 seconds into the action resuming, courtesy of Kaylin Helinski off a corner kick dish by Michelle Rings.

Only realizing three more shot attempts after cutting the large lead to that same number, Wright State would fail in their pursuit of becoming the first team to manage more than one score against the Skyhawks, as the orange and blue have now surrendered just four goals in 560 minutes, good enough for the second-lowest mark in the league.

Graduate GK Erica Myers collected her 34^th win on Sunday while at the same time not needing to produce a single save over her 45 minutes of play. Freshman Annie McGraw finished out the rest of the match for the second time in as many games, grabbing her first collegiate save in the 73^rd minute.

Fresh off an eight-goal showing in two dominant W's, the Skyhawks will enact on a well-deserved seven-day break before their next meeting on Sunday, September 12^th versus the Western Carolina Catamounts. In what will be the third straight home match and the second-to-last non-conference tune-up, UTM will hope to avenge a 5-4 setback to WCU in the Tar Heel State the last time the two schools locked horns in 2019.

Western Carolina featured in a scoreless tie with Longwood while UT Martin was busy lighting up the scoreboard on Sunday, preparing to host Liberty on September 9^th before traveling to Skyhawk Field three days later with a current record of 3-2-1.