Mount Olive drops Erskine, 4-0, in women’s soccer

MOUNT OLIVE – Sophomore forward Tianna Hill registered a hat-trick in the first half on Saturday, as the University of Mount Olive women’s soccer team secured a 4-0 win over Erskine in Conference Carolinas action at Amon Field.

With the win, the Trojans collect their third-straight victory and improve to 4-3 overall with a 2-0 mark in league play. UMO holds a 3-1 record at home this year and post back-to-back shutouts for the first time in the 2022 campaign. Meanwhile, the Flying Fleet drops to 0-6-1 this season behind a 0-3-1 record in conference action.

Hill recorded her first career hat-trick with the program and became the first player to achieve the feat since Oct. 2021. The Trojans featured a pair of hat-trick performances last year from Nya Baccelli and Abigail Crawford.

Mount Olive pressed the attacking side of the pitch early in the first half and fired four shots, including one on goal, in the opening seven-plus minutes. Hill scored the initial goal of the match at the 8:51-mark after a shot on goal deflected into the the net to put the Trojans ahead, 1-0. In the 19th minute, UMO nearly added the lead on a pair of shots by sophomore forward Delia Allwood, but the Erskine goalie came up with consecutive saves to keep it a one-goal game. Hill would find her second goal of the match at the 22:57-mark to extend the advantage, 2-0. The Trojans continued to pressure the net in the first half with six more shots and five corner kicks, as the Flying Fleet goalkeeper totaled four saves. In the 39th minute, Hill collected the hat-trick after firing in her third goal of the match to stretch the lead, 3-0.

In the second half, Erskine registered its only shot of the match in the 49th minute on a free-kick that was blocked by the UMO defense. Mount Olive sustained possession and tallied eight more attempts, including five on goal, in the initial 15-plus minutes. Senior midfielder Riley Baker added an insurance goal in the 79th minute, her second of the season, to give the Trojans a 4-0 advantage.

Senior goalkeeper Nicole Solicito tallied her second-straight shutout while playing all 90 minutes on Saturday.

The Trojans out-shot the Flying Fleet by a 35-1 margin, including an 18-0 edge in shots on goal, while also posting an 11-0 advantage in corner kicks.

Mount Olive returns to action on Wednesday, Sept. 21, when it travels to face Francis Marion in league play, starting at 4:30 p.m.

Submitted by University of Mount Olive