BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (September 27, 2019) – After more than a week away from the field, the Howard University women's soccer team returned with a 4-0 victory over Jackson State to open Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) play.
 
With the win, HU moved to 4-2 (1-0 SWAC) while the Tigers remain winless (0-9, 0-1 SWAC) on the year.
 
"I'm very proud of tonight's performance and result," said Howard women's soccer head coach Brent Leiba. "We played very well and [I] would say that tonight's game was one of our most well-rounded performances of the season."
 
At the 39-minute mark, sophomore Kendall Macauly (Toronto, Ontario) found fellow classmate Victoria Thornton (Plainfield, Ill.) in front of the net on a corner kick and gave Howard a 1-0 lead.
 
Nearly 10 minutes later, sophomore Mikayla Johnson (Waldorf, Md.) doubled the Bison's advantage before intermission, 2-0.
 
After halftime, second-year forward Kenya Saunders (Brampton, Ontario) extended the lead, 3-0, thanks to an assist from junior Aleeya Sawyer (Lincolnshire, Ill.).
 
Sophomore Arianna Morgan (Oklahoma City, Okla.) delivered an insurance goal at the 84-minute mark to seal the deal.
 
Jackson State's Thea Ebbe Brich recorded a match-high seven saves in the loss.
 
"This was a great way to start conference play," Leiba added. "We need to have a similar mindset for our game on Sunday [against Southern]."
 
Sunday (Sept. 29), Howard takes on Southern at noon (ET)/11 a.m. (CT) in Birmingham, Ala. at Sicard Hollow Park.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.