Dover, Del. (Oct. 11, 2015) --- On a day when the Delaware State soccer team honored its six seniors in their final home match, many of the Hornets' younger players shared the spotlight in an 11-0 victory over Hampton at Alumni Stadium this afternoon.
The Hornets tied a team record with their third straight win to improve to 5-8-1 this season. DSU's win total is third-best in the 14-year history of the program. The team record is seven wins by the 2007 squad (7-11). The Hornets posted six victories last season (6-12-1). Delaware State has six matches remaining on its 2015 schedule.
The 11 goals today rank second in team history, one shy of the school record 12 in a shutout victory over Lincoln (Pa.) in 2011. The Hornets also fired off a school record 45 shots in the match, including a team-best 22 on goal.
“This was an important win for our team, especially the seniors,” said Delaware State third-year head coach Kerri Scroope, the Hornets' career leader with 12 wins. “Our six seniors helped lead the new direction of our program and established a legacy for the underclassmen and future players to follow. We will count on their leadership in our quest for a single-season wins record and second straight Independent Conference Tournament championship.”
A total of nine players scored for the Hornets in today's contest. Elise Pratt (jr.) and Dina Isham (jr.) led the way with two goals each. Pratt also collected an assist to give her a team-high eight points this season (three goals/two assists).
Taylor Love (fr.) came off the bench to score her third goal of the season to tie Pratt for the team lead.
Seniors Morgan Durham and Kym Brewton each scored her first career goal, while classmates Julia Bossert notched her first goal of the season; and Tere' Crawford tallied a team-high two assists.
McKenzie Miller (so.), Morgan Pottinger (jr.) and Briana Villa (so.) also notched their first career goals in the match.
Delaware State opened the scoring with Brewton's goal on a header off a feed from Crawford in the ninth minutes.
A little more than two minutes later, Pratt scored the first of her two goals, firing a shot past Hampton goal keeper Maya Bouyer from 35 yards out.
The Hornets opened up a 3-0 lead when Crawford assisted on Pratt's second goal of the match and third this season in the 18th minute.
Pottinger scored an unassisted goal from close range in the 23rd minute to give DSU a 4-0 lead at the break.
Delaware State tied a team record with seven second period goals.
Bossert found the net from 20 yards out to give DSU a 5-0 lead less than four minutes into the period.
The Hornets stretched their lead to 6-0 when Love tallied her goal off a corner kick by Taylor Pratcher (54').
Durham, playing in her final home game, found the net for the first time in her career on a free kick from 30 yards out to give DSU a seven-goal lead.
Delaware State opened up a 9-0 lead when Isham scored twice in a five-minute span of the second period.
Miller's goal gave the Hornets a 10-0 lead and Villa capped off the scoring with a shot over the head of Hampton goal keeper Dazna Austin from nearly 50 yards away with less than a minute to play.
Durham, Brewton, Crawford and Bossert, along with Danielle Valente and Taylor Addison were honored before playing their final home contest for the Hornets.
Hampton fell to 0-7 in its first women's soccer season.
The Hornets will play their last four regular season games on the road, beginning with a visit to Marist this Fri. (Oct. 16). Game time is 7 p.m. in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
DSU will also travel to LIU Brooklyn (Oct. 18), VMI (Oct. 22) and Howard (Oct. 28) before competing in the Independent Conference Tournament Oct. 30-Nov. 1 in Florence, S.C.
