TEMPLE TERRACE, Fla. — After an unfortunate cancellation kept the Gyrenes from playing their home opener Saturday, the Ave Maria Women's Soccer team opened the season with a bang Thursday evening, beating the Florida College Falcons 7-0. The scored five times in the first half and two more times in the second half to score their touchdown in the other kind of football.
The scoring started very early as Claire Wrobleski snuck a goal past the keeper in just the third minute of the game.
Aviana Ferraez scored the next goal in the 22
nd minute, capitalizing on a feed from sophomore transfer Mia Melton.
Daria Charron was the next to put the Gyrenes on the board just five minutes later. Melton got her second assist of the game as she also passed the ball to Charron right before the game.
Florida College had no time to rest as just 64 seconds later, Ferraez got her second goal of the match.
Cydnee Butler was the last Gyrene to score in the first half, burying a dish from Cadey Ragsdale in the 31
st minute.
In total, Ave Maria took 20 shots in the opening half, and a quarter of them found the back of the net. Six more were on goal but saved by the Florida College keeper.
Ave Maria came out firing again in the second half and Wrobleski got another early goal. In the 55
th minute, just 10 minutes to the frame, the junior from Montana scored her second goal of the match.
Ave Maria kept unleashing a barrage of shots in the second half, but the Falcons' keeper stepped up and made 13 saves.
The Gyrenes got one more by her in the 76
th minute as Maria Saad got in on the action with her first career goal at Ave Maria. Carys Ragsdale joined her sister on the scoresheet by providing the assist on Saad's goal.
When the final horn sounded, Ave Maria walked off the pitch with a touchdown win over Florida College. In total, the Gyrenes took 44 shots with 26 on net.
Emma Schweitzer started the first 73 minutes of the match in goal and made one save. Freshman Hannah Kelly stepped in and covered the final 17 minutes to complete to combined clean sheet.
With the win, Ave Maria starts the season 1-0.
The Gyrenes are back on the road Tuesday, September 1, as they head east to West Palm Beach to take on the defending National Champion Keiser Seahawks. Keiser received all 19 of the first place votes in the NAIA preseason poll. The Seahawks have started the season with a win over NCAA Division II Barry, but a tie against No. 8 William Carey. The Seahawks also play Carroll College on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. and the match will be streamed live on the Sun Digital Network.
