AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University women's soccer team saw senior Emily Dalton become the program's all-time leading scorer on Thursday evening, as the Gyrenes rolled past Florida College, 6-1, at Gyrene Field in Ave Maria. Dalton logged a hat trick in the non-conference victory, giving her 53 points and 22 goals in her Gyrene career. With her second goal on Thursday, the Venice, Florida native surpassed the records of 20 goals and 51 points set by Alexia Mazzoccone and Anne Bateman, respectively.

The scoring started quickly for the Gyrenes, as Ave Maria took a 1-0 lead in the fifth minute of the match following a more than 90-minute lightning delay before the opening kickoff. Elizabeth Nowak found the back of the net on an assist from Libby Brooks, putting AMU on the board. Dalton struck for her first goal of the night in the 15th minute, with Nowak on the assist. Lauren Brooks then got in on the action, with Libby Brooks picking up her second assist in the 20th minute.

Florida College scored their lone goal in the 21st minute, as a cross from Baleigh Simpson trickled away from the AMU defense and rolled to the foot of Michaela Nicholson, who scored from close range. The goal from Nicholson made it 3-1 Gyrenes, which would remain the score entering the halftime break. 

Dalton broke the school scoring records in the first eight minutes of the second half, scoring in the 53rd minute to make it a 4-1 Ave Maria lead. The senior then recorded Ave Maria's first hat trick of the 2021 season in the 54th minute, scoring on an assist from her sister Hannah Dalton just  62 seconds after her record-breaking goal. AMU's scoring was capped off in the 80th minute, when Jeanine Sullivan struck for her third goal of the season.

Another school record was broken on Thursday night, as the Gyrenes attempted a program-high 45 shots. This broke the existing school record of 44, set on October 5, 2013 in a 10-0 victory over Johnson University. Of those 45 shots, 21 were shots on goal. The Gyrenes also had ten corner kicks on the night. 

Emily Dalton was the main architect of AMU's record-setting shots mark, taking 15 shots and four shots on goal. Her sister, Rachel Dalton, followed with six shots, while another sister, Hannah Dalton had four. All four of Hannah Dalton's shots were on goal, evening Emily's total for the game high.

The victory was Ave Maria's fourth in a row, giving the Gyrenes a program-best 6-1 record to start the season. Next week will be a major test for AMU, with two of the nation's top 40 teams on the schedule. The first of these matches will come Monday morning, when Ave Maria hosts Middle Georgia State, who is receiving votes in the newest NAIA Coaches' Poll. Kickoff in that match is scheduled for 11:00 a.m., with a match on the road against No. 5 Southeastern to follow on Thursday.