THE RUNDOWN
The DBU Women's Soccer team opened up the season with a 6-0 victory over Harding University Saturday afternoon on Patriot Field.  The Patriots (1-0-0) dominated from the opening whistle with freshman Ashley Merrill finding the back of the net in the 2nd minute of the game. Merill would contribute to three more goals on the day, adding two more herself and tacking on an assist.

Merill's off-the-ball awareness and deceitful runs coming from the midfield gave her the ability to find pockets of space inside the 18 that allowed her to have three solid looks on frame that all ended up in the back of the net.

The Patriots had four goal scorers on the day with Kaleigh Naizer, Kaci Parks, and Marit Auee all getting on the score sheet. Auee's goal came from a beautiful set piece roughly 25 yards out that curled just around the outside of the wall to beat the goalie at the near post. Jenna Patterson also contributed heavily for the Patriots on the offensive side with two assists coming from services along the wing.

High speed ball circulation in the attacking third, off-the-ball runs, and a possession-based offense would all see the Patriots maintain control of the game. Melissa Jones stood out in the midfield and filled the 6 spot perfectly this afternoon; staying composed on the ball and playing out of pressure multiple times would allow her to start several attacking chances for DBU.

On the defensive side, the Patriots were tactically sound and shut down any offensive threat that the Bison had. Three freshmen started at the back for DBU with Ella McQuaid, Blythe Obar, and Marit Auee all getting the nod. Summerlyn Heller would round out the back line as being the only veteran starter. McQuaid and Obar each set the tone for the match, making strong challenges early in the game that stayed in the back of the minds of the Bison front runners.

Junior transfer Adrianna Schroeder would earn the first shutout of her DBU career after keeping the back line in front of her organized and compact which would see her face minimal threats throughout the 90 minutes.

THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
  - Ashley Merill becomes the first player in DBU history to open her career with a hat trick.

 - 6-0 is the largest margin of victory in a season opener the Patriots have had since 2005 when they beat Delta State University 5-0.

 - Five freshmen started the game for the Patriots, with eight seeing playing time.

COACH MICHELLE LENARD ON THE PATRIOTS OPENING WIN
"We are very grateful to be back on the field and competing today. It has been a long wait and we are excited to be moving forward.

I thought the team looked good considering the time off. We played a lot of young players and got very valuable experience for many new additions to the team. I am very happy with the offensive production and the shutout. It was a great way to start the season."

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
3 – Three of the Patriots goal scorers today are true freshmen.
22 – DBU had 22 shots in the game.
0 – The Patriots backline allowed zero shots throughout the full 90 minutes.

UP NEXT
DBU heads to Edmond, Oklahoma, where they will match up with Central Oklahoma next Saturday, February 13th at 1:00 p.m.