PETERSBURG, Va. (September 11, 2023) - Howard University women's soccer (4-2-1) garnered their third win in a row Monday night as they blanked Virginia State (VSU), 9-0.
 
The crusade began on the cusp of the ninth minute when senior Marli Berry (Orangevale, Calif.) opened the scoring with the help of newcomer Samantha James (Herndon, Va.). 
 
Just twenty seconds later, Ava Stewart's (Queensbury, N.Y.) effort served as the Trojan's only offensive attempt but fell off target. 
 
Sophomore Kyra Bolden (McLean, Va.) got in on the action with a shot out of reach of the Trojan in the net. 
 
Nearly four minutes later, Bison standout Melea Earley (La Mirada, Calif.) added her first goal of the night with an assist from Berry to pull away, 3-0.
 
Senior Nyla Allen (Elmont, N.Y.) also netted two goals through the night, earning the Bison their fourth and eighth points.
 
In the final moments of the half, sophomore Cheyenne Lam (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) connected with an assist from freshman forward Alauna Rutland (Fairfax, Va.) to give HU a hefty 5-0 lead into the break.
 
Howard quickly extended the advantage to 7-0 with back-to-back goals by upperclassmen Earley and Rachel Suttle (Atlanta).
 
Mimi Richards (Silver Spring, Md.) notched her first collegiate goal with the final nail in the coffin, 9-0.
 
Bolden led the team offensively with nine shots while Earley's aim led in shots on goal with four.
 
Every Bison had an opportunity to shine on the field with 12 different players getting a shot at the net in the crusade.
 
The Bison tallied 45 shots in the matchup, along with 17 corner attempts.
 
The Bison are back in action Thursday, September 14, when they kick off conference play in a matchup against Delaware State. 
 
The night game will observe National Donut Day with free donuts to 200 fans in attendance as well as a Battle of the Dorms for Students.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.