Three Tally Multiple Goals in Lopsided Victory for Women's Soccer

SAN ANTONIO – The St. Mary's Women's Soccer used an aggressive attack early, scoring five goals in the first 13:17 of the game to win 7-1 against Felician on Friday night at Sigma Beta Chi Field.
 
In addition to the five goals, the team chipped in a pair in the second half less than a minute apart to improve to 3-0 on the year for the first time since 2016. That team was unbeaten in its first seven games, going 5-0-2 en route to an 8-6-4 overall mark.
 
Senior forward Juni Ejere (Weatherford, Texas) scored a hat-trick, opening the game with one goal just two minutes in, scoring the fifth of the night at the 13:17 mark and ending the night with the seventh at the 70:05 mark. Her five goals on the season are tied for the lead in the Lone Star Conference.
 
Both senior defender Megan Copeland (San Antonio) and sophomore midfielder Barbara Smith (Las Cruces, N.M.) added a brace each as well as an assist for five points each. Copeland scored the second goal at the 7:04 mark, and the sixth goal at 69:18, while Smith scored back-to-back at 8:40 and 12:50.
 
Sophomore Eliza Merrion (Park City, Utah) recorded two assists on Smith's goals, while sophomore Nayeli Celedon (San Antonio) found Copeland on the sixth goal of the night.
 
Felician scored its lone goal in the 17th minute, as Anne Noonan scored unassisted. 
 
Sophomore goalkeeper Rebecca Difronzo (Bari, Italy) was credited with the win, while sophomore Melida Garza (New Braunfels, Texas) was in goal the entirety of the second half, making one save.
 
The Rattlers out-shot the Golden Falcons 31-2 on the night, including 16-2 in shots on goal.
 
St. Mary's hits the road for a neutral match Sunday in Canyon against Fort Lewis. The Skyhawks lost earlier this evening at West Texas A&M, 3-0.
 
INDIVIDUAL PLAYER & TEAM NOTES

• Juni Ejere's three goals ties for the third-most in a game in St. Mary's history. She is the 18th player to score a hat-trick and joins Kylie Von Holle (vs Texas Lutheran, 3/14/21) as the only active player on the roster with three goals in a single game.
• St. Mary's leads the Lone Star Conference with 14 goals on the year. The next closest team has nine (West Texas A&M, St. Edward's).
• This is the 2nd time in Megan Copeland's career she's scored two goals in a game (at Texas A&M Commerce, 10/27/21).
• It is the first time Barbara Smith has tallied a brace in a game. She sat out the 2021 season, but scored one goal in nine games as a freshman in 2020.