ALFRED, NY – The Alfred University women's soccer team scored five goals in the second half to pick up a 6-0 non-conference win while hosting Medaille College on Wednesday evening at Yunevich Stadium.
 
The Saxons (6-2-2, 1-0-0 Empire 8) got the game-winning goal in the 30^th minute of play with Abigail Austin (Hornell, NY/Hornell) scoring her first of three goals on the evening as Claire Squicciarini (Albion, NY/Charles D'Amico) made a short pass back inside of the 18-yard box. Austin's shot slid right through the Maverick keeper's hands as it rolled into the net for what would go on to be the deciding goal. AU shot the ball 20 times in the first half with eight of those being on target, keeping the action to one side of the pitch nearly the entire first half.
 
The Saxons midfielders and defense kept backfield action to the ultimate minimum as not a single Maverick shot was fired on the day with only keepers Hannah Fuller (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Forks) and Krissy Chapman (Hinsdale, NY/Hinsdale) seeing slight action, more so in the second half with a few breakaways from the Medaille front line.
 
"I thought the entire team came out and played a solid game," Head Coach Craig Yanni said. We had moments of frustration in the first half but we continued to work through them as a team. We came out in the second half with a little bit more urgency which really helped."
 
11 minutes into the start of the second half was all it took to open the flood gates of Saxon goals as Jacey Palmgreen (Rochester, NY/Greece Olympia) lobbed a ball over the Medaille back line into the back left corner of the net for her second goal of the season. Just over a minute later, Austin struck again as Karah Landries (Angelica, NY/Genesee Valley Central) played a threaded pass through defenders, allowing for the shot to find net.
 
In the 62^nd minute of play, Palmgreen got her sixth assist and set a collegiate-best mark of three points as she sent a corner kick to the head of Katline Cartwright (Le Roy, NY/Le Roy), scoring AU's fourth goal of the game. Just a few moments later, in the 65^th minute, Landries chipped a 10-yard pass up and forward where Katelyn Rieger (Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder) was waiting to battle for the high ball, and was able to head the ball over the keeper and encroaching defender, giving the Saxons a 5-0 lead.
 
AU closed up shop with a solo effort from Austin as she scored her first collegiate hat-trick, dribbling the ball through what seemed like a valley of defenders for the low shot, cross-net to the bottom right corner of the net.
 
In total, AU had 36 shots with 17 on goal and four of their goals were assisted as 13 players saw double-digit minutes in the playing field from the Saxon bench.
 
The Saxons will next return to Empire 8 action as they travel to Utica College on Saturday, October 2 for a 3:00pm match start.