ALFRED, NY – The Alfred University women's soccer team began its season with a definitive, 7-0 win over visiting Hilbert College on Friday evening from Yunevich Stadium.
 
The Saxons (1-0, 0-0 Empire 8) scored the most goals in a home-opener since 2014's 7-1 win over SUNY Canton. It is also the largest margin of victory in over 20 years of home-openers. AU kept the Hawks (0-1, 0-0 AMCC) to only one shot in the game with one coming late in the second half. The Saxons totaled 32 shots with 15 on goal as they dominated the offensive side of the game.
 
Kayla Silverstein (North Chili, NY/Churchville-Chili) was credited with the game-winning goal, scoring the first Saxon goal of 2024 when she thread a shot in between defenders, an AU teammate and through the arms of the Hawk keeper in the 21^st minute of play. First-year Amber Bates (Jamesville, NY/Jamesville-DeWitt) totaled two assists on two corner kick header goals, first from Abby Scanlan (Albion, NY/Charles D'Amico) in the 39^th minute and the second in the 58^th minute as Nyah Solly (Colden, NY/Springville-Griffith Institute) scored the fifth goal of the game during the second half.
 
"It was great to open the season with a win at home," Head Coach Craig Yanni said. "I thought it was a good performance from everyone from start to finish. Always nice when you can get everyone into the game as well."
 
The third goal of the game was scored by Kali Meyer (Dansville, NY/Dansville) when she deflected a cross pass into the back of the net from Megan Rinker (Le Roy, NY/Le Roy) in the 41^st minute, just before haftime.
 
Madison Lee (Dansville, NY/Dansville) opened up the second half scoring when she drilled a pass from Evony Diaz (Santa Barbara, CA/San Marcos) into the back of the net in the 48^th minute, making it a 4-0 game in favor of the hosts. 11 minutes after Solly's header goal from Bates, Sidney Khuns (Spencerport, NY/Spencerport), on a short corner kick pass, found a wide-open Julia Flaitz (Arkport, NY/Arkport Central) who threaded a shot through the Hilbert defense for the sixth goal at the 69^th minute. Flaitz doubled-up when she found the top right corner off an extremely narrow cross shot in the 76^th minute of play. She nearly earned a hat-trick just 15 seconds later when she took a shot over the keeper but just missed.
 
Kiani Barnard-Pratt (Westford, MA/Westford Academy) earned the win in goal while her and Lauren Mott (Cortland, NY/Cortland) shared on the team shutout.
 
The Saxons will next host Geneva College (Pa.) on Tuesday, September 3 at 4pm.