MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. - The Ave Maria University women's soccer team avenged a heartbreaking home loss with a decisive road victory on Wednesday evening, as the Gyrenes claimed a 3-1 victory over the St. Thomas University Bobcats in Miami Gardens. The victory in The Sun Conference Game of the Week moved Ave Maria alone into third place in the league with only a week and a half remaining in the regular season.

It only took the Gyrenes 89 seconds to take the lead on Wednesday night. On a pass from Emily Dalton, Lauren Brooks beat the goalkeeper for her third goal of the 2020 season. The assist was a team-high fourth for the senior Dalton. The freshman's goal in the second minute of the match gave Ave Maria a 1-0 lead that would last for no more than seven minutes.

In the ninth minute, St. Thomas came up with an answer. Less than seven minutes after Brooks' opening goal, Karina Medina slipped through the defense and placed a shot past the goalkeeper. Medina's goal was her fourth of the season, and evened the match at one. The goal would prove to be St. Thomas' last of the night, but the even score would last more than 30 minutes. 

Ave Maria scored what would prove to be the game-winner on an STU miscue in the 42nd minute. A kick from the STU goalkeeper went straight to Emily Dalton, who needed just one pass to find her sister Sarah. The middle of the three Dalton sisters on the AMU roster beat the goalkeeper and scored her third goal of the season to give Ave Maria a 2-1 lead, which would last to halftime.

Just over three minutes into the second half, the leading scorer in the Sun Conference found the back of the net. Emily Dalton scored her eleventh goal of the season on an assist from freshman Jeanine Sullivan. Dalton moved her season totals to eleven goals and 27 points, totals that are beginning to threaten school records in both categories. Neither team would score in the final 40 minutes of the match, preserving Ave Maria's 3-1 win.

Emily and Sarah Dalton combined for six of Ave Maria's nine shots in the win, with Brooks, Haley Iacona, and Gabby Decker supplying the other three. AMU goalkeeper Maddie Samuelson made four saves, and picked up her fifth win in a Gyrene uniform. St. Thomas' attack was led by Miranda Ferradaz, who attempted three total shots with two tries on net. Medina also added three shots, with her lone shot on goal finding the back of the net. STU's Melanie Lefebvre had a game-high six saves in the losing effort.

AMU now controls their own destiny for a top-three finish in The Sun Conference, and can all but seal a home game in the 2020 Sun Conference Tournament with a victory on Tuesday. The Gyrenes will travel to Lake Wales on Tuesday night for a meeting with the Warner University Royals. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.