NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Monroe College’s Women’s Soccer team played their second home game of the season on Monday, defeating Rowan College at Burlington County with a 10-0 final score. Maia Williams led the offense with six goals, including a first-half hat trick. The team is now 2-0 at home and 4-0-2 overall.
Freshman Gema Fernandez put Monroe on the board with a goal in the first two minutes after the visiting Barons fouled just outside the 18-yard box, giving the freshman a go at the goal. The next goal would come approximately 15 minutes later, when Williams got her first marker of the game.
Williams took full advantage after a shot was parried by the keeper and loose in the penalty area, kicking the ball into the back of the net to make the score 2-0. She scored again after besting the goalie with a double-clutch that left the net open. A minute later, Williams recorded the hat trick after taking advantage of a shot from Daniella Moran that hit the near post.
Veronica Martins made the score 5-0 on a nifty move on a breakaway. With the defender in hot pursuit, the freshman stopped short, let the Barons’ player run past her, and calmly went inside the far post. The final goal of the half came from Williams after she finished a cross from Andrea Rodriguez. Monroe led 6-0 at the break.
Williams brought the score to 7-0 after taking a shot on goal that the keeper deflected back to her, giving her a second, successful attempt to find the net. Williams’ sixth goal of the match followed on a breakaway after a through-ball off the foot of Gemma Pla.
Rodriguez made the score 9-0 just past the hour mark as she blasted a strike from about 30 yards out that caught the upper right corner of the net. The scoring was capped on a corner kick by Elysa Virela that Marta Turmo headed home for the tenth goal. The goal was especially meaningful for Turmo, whose parents and sister were in the stands visiting from Spain.
Monroe outshot Burlington 27-0 and had five corner kicks. Williams scored six goals this game, more than any other Mustangs player this season.
The Monroe College women’s soccer team returns to action on Friday, October 7, when they face Essex County College in New Jersey at 3:30 PM.