GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Three first-half goals helped spark Tusculum University to a 4-0 victory over Asbury University in non-conference women's soccer action at Pioneer Field Tuesday afternoon.
Four different players scored for the Pioneers (3-9-0), who snapped a four-match losing streak by outshooting the Eagles (3-8-1) by a 15-7 margin. Bailey Bylotas finished with a goal and an assist while Myah Giordullo, Yvette Raaijen and Kaitlyn Watson also scored for Tusculum.
Emma Harriman made four saves in 74 minutes for the Pioneers and shared the shutout with freshman Brooklynn Hudgins, who had one save in 16 minutes in her collegiate debut.
Tusculum went at Asbury from the start, forcing Eagles keeper Maliya Crump to make a save on a deflected shot from Brianna Garcia in the second minute. Kate Benne had a chance from 10 yards out following a short cross in the ninth minute, but shot just high of the target.
The Pioneers went up 1-0 at 15:36 as a pass from Benne inside the box went to Bylotas in front, who poked the second try past Crump for her third goal of the season. Three minutes later, the Pioneers went ahead 2-0 as a Watson corner kick was knocked out by the Asbury defense to Bylotas, who fed Giordullo at the top of the box for a blast that resulted in her second goal of the season at 18:34.
Trailing by two, Asbury forced Harriman to make a pair of tough saves less than a minute apart as she smothered a redirection from Olivia Ruckriegel in the 32nd minute and tipped over a shot from the top of the box by Delaney Long in the 33rd minute. Watson nearly gave Tusculum a 3-0 lead in the 36th minute but her shot from 25 yards hit the top of the crossbar and bounced away.
Tusculum was able to stretch its lead to 3-0 at 40:36 as a corner by Watson went to Julianne Fox, who made a short pass in close to Brianna Oats. Oats moved the ball near the goal line and Raaijen finished it off for her third goal of the season.
In the second half, Watson scored her first goal in three years as she collected a beautiful cross from Garcia following a long run down the left side and made it 4-0 Pioneers at 59:48. The goal was Watson's first since Oct. 27, 2018 at Coker, a span of 39 matches during which she had dished out nine assists.
Hudgins replaced Harriman in goal with just over 16 minutes left and made one save, stopping Asbury's Rilen Gettings by deflecting her shot wide following a scramble off a corner kick. The Eagles also made a goalkeeper change, bringing in Carlie Alvis in the 77th minute. Alvis was called upon to make two saves, one on a header by Kenzie Ellenburg that was punched over the crossbar in the 82nd minute and the other on a break down the right side by Oats with just under two minutes left.
Asbury finished the match with a slim 6-5 advantage in corner kicks, while the Eagles were whistled for nine fouls to five by the Pioneers in the caution-free contest.
The Pioneers will finish up a stretch of four consecutive home matches when they host Lenoir-Rhyne on Sunday, Oct. 17 at 2 p.m. at Pioneer Field.
