WASHINGTON, DC --- A pair of early goals set the tone and a second half flurry gave the Howard women's soccer team a comfortable 7-1 victory over Mount St. Mary's University on Friday evening at Greene Stadium.

The victory puts Howard (4-3) over the .500 mark for the first time this season and ensures it will enter Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) play with at least an even record.

Senior midfield Dytria Ruddy, senior forward Rasheeda Ansari and sophomore forward Kela Gray each scored a pair of goals while sophomore forward/midfielder Whitney White added another for the nation's highest scoring offense. Gray took the points lead in the game with a pair of assists while Ruddy added one of her own.

THE RUNDOWN
-    Gray (4') and White (5') scored the Bison's first two goals before the game's fifth minute, with Gray getting her first assist on White goals.
-    Ansari (51') beat a charging MSM goalkeeper to net the first score of the second half on a midfield setup from Ruddy.
-    Gray (52') nailed her second goal of the game to push Howard's lead to 4-0.
-    Mount St. Mary's got on the board on a score by Lauren Bogardus (55') but Ansari responded in less than 1:30 (56') on a Gray-assisted header.
-    Ruddy finished the game with her two goals a looping shot over the goalie from the top of the box (57') and a second chance opportunity after the deflection of one of her shots (75').
-    Howard was able to win the game because of its offensive efficiency. Despite narrowly being outshot (17-16) and allowing three times as many corner kicks (nine to three), the Bison were able to post its second-highest scoring output of the season.

NEXT UP
Howard will play its final game before SWAC play begins on Tuesday, September 22 at 4 p.m. when the Bison travel to Annapolis, Maryland to face Navy.