HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College women's soccer team scored seven times en route to a resounding first victory of the 2018 season. The Fords' 7-0 win over Eastern on Tuesday afternoon was the team's highest goal output in nearly two years. However, the finishing wasn't the only thing that was impressive as the Fords totaled seven assists for the third-highest single game total in school history. Haverford's 21 combined offensive points (seven points, seven assists) marked the team's highest output since the 2005 season against Kalamazoo.
Grace Mathis and Maryanna Solecki each scored twice for the Fords, while Isabella Gross, Mia Reyes, and Katie Safter also found the back of the net during the non-conference victory. Mathis also added two assists to her career day, finishing with six points for the highest total an individual Haverford player has produced since current assistant coach Katie Van Aken '12 recorded that same total against McDaniel during the 2010 season.
Mathis wasted little time getting the Fords off to a great start as she scored just 6:43 into regulation and tallied another goal during the 16th minute. Her first goal came off of a corner kick from the foot of Sydney West before Kendra Griesman flicked the ball onto the far post. The helpers were the first of the season for both Griesman and West. Mathis' second goal came when the defense tried to clear the ball out of its own six, but a deflection off of the Fords' senior put her side up 2-0. Mathis now has eight career goals and is just three points shy of her career high after the first multi-goal performance of her career.
Following those two strikes, Gross stepped up with her first goal of the season. Haverford's third goal came as she followed a shot that was initially saved off the foot of Marina Piccolo. However, Gross collected the rebound for the easy finish while Piccolo recorded the first offensive point of her season with the assist. First year Reyes then scored her first career goal as she headed home a cross off the foot of Kelly Brown during the 41st minute of play to make it 4-0 at the break. Brown's helper was the first career point for the senior defender.
Solecki scored both of her goals during the second half, tallying her goals less than three minutes apart with a goal from Safter in between those strikes. Solecki followed Emily Thissen's shot into the goal and finished a rebound for her first goal as Thissen was credited with the first point of her career. Mathis capped her day by setting up the next two Haverford goals. Safter hammered home the first cross for her first goal this season and eighth of her career. Solecki's final goal stood as the last tally in the 7-0 victory as she recorded the first multi-goal game of her career.
Haverford finished the match with a commanding 29-3 advantage in shots, putting 20 of those attempts on goal. The Fords also had 12 corner kick opportunities. Fourteen different players recorded a shot in the victory while nine different players made their season debuts in the winning effort. Julie Hanss and Ali Weiner split the two halves in goal. Hanss went untested over the first 45 minutes while Weiner was called on to make two saves during the second half of the combined shutout.
Women's soccer will look to carry this offensive momentum into this weekend as the Fords travel to St. Mary's (Md.) for a 1:30 p.m. start on Saturday.