GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Sydney Grant scored a pair of goals to help lead Tusculum University to a 5-0 victory over Salem University in non-conference women's soccer action Saturday afternoon at Pioneer Field.
Brianna Garcia had a goal and an assist and Kira Schulte also scored for the Pioneers (6-3-1), who improved to 5-0-0 in non-conference matches by outshooting the Tigers (2-6-1) by a 16-2 margin. Tusculum also benefitted from an own goal scored by Salem against itself early in the second half.
Grant scored in the sixth and 66th minutes to give her three goals in the Pioneers' last two matches. Garcia's goal was midway through the first half in the 23rd minute, while Schulte's tally came with 32 seconds remaining in the match.
Tusculum nearly scored in the fifth minute as a chip attempt from close range by Taylor Youmans went off the crossbar and over the frame. Just over a minute later, Chayse Stonebraker hit Youmans down the left side, and her cross to Grant was played into the net for her third goal of the season at 5:56.
The Pioneers had several scoring opportunities called back by the offsides flag, but converted at 22:24 as Rosy Wodhams found Garcia down the middle, and her shot to the far post resulted in her fifth goal of the season and a 2-0 Tusculum lead.
Salem would take its first shot attempt shortly after the goal from Garcia, but a header from the top of the box by Aniiyah Peeples was gathered in wide of the goal by Tusculum keeper Grayson Patterson. Youmans nearly converted in the 39th minute as she got behind the Tigers' defense, but Salem keeper Chloe Owens was able to smother her attempt.
In the second half, the Pioneers needed just 78 seconds to collect their third goal of the day. A shot by Youmans was bobbled and misplayed by new Salem keeper Alexandra Issard, and Grant shot the loose ball wide of the keeper heading toward the goal. Tiger defender Hannah Sion tried to clear the ball as it approached the line and instead fired in high into the goal at 46:18.
The Pioneers continued to apply the pressure, with Youmans heading a shot on goal in the 57th minute and Emma Whitaker drilling a one-hopper to Issard from 20 yards in the 62nd minute. The Pioneers would boost their lead to 4-0 at 65:40 as a shot from Grant was saved by Issard, and the rebound went to Garcia whose pass to Whitaker was sent on to Grant for a chip shot and her second of the afternoon.
Tusculum substituted liberally in the latter stages of the match, and ended up getting their final goal of the day courtesy of the bench as a through ball from Adriana Netskos went to Schulte, who slipped a shot past Issard for her first goal of the season with 32 seconds to play.
The Pioneers took all six corner kicks in the match, but were flagged 11 times for offsides to zero by the Tigers. Salem had an 8-6 edge in fouls, and both teams were shown one caution.
Patterson did not need to make a save to record her third shutout of the season for Tusculum, while Owens (one save) and Issard (five saves) each played a half of Salem.
Tusculum will look for its second three-match winning streak of the season when the Pioneers host Anderson on Wednesday at 5 p.m. The Trojans will carry a 5-2-3 overall record and a 2-1-2 conference mark into Sunday's match at Emory & Henry.
