SAN ANTONIO – The No. 7/9 Trinity women's soccer team opened the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament with a 5-0 shutout victory over Schreiner University.

The top-seeded Tigers improved to 19-0-1 this season with the win, which was the third time this year that Trinity has defeated Schreiner. Trinity has also won 18 consecutive games this season, including 15 straight via shutout.

Sophomore Michaela Bosco (Weatherford, Texas / Weatherford) scored a hat trick in the win for Trinity, notching each of the first three goals to stake Trinity to an early lead. Bosco buried her first score on a rebound just 38 seconds into the match – breaking the SCAC record for the fastest goal to start a tournament game.

Trinity advances to the SCAC Championship Match on Sunday, November 6, with tonight's win. The Tigers will face the winner of tonight's second Semifinal between Texas Lutheran University and Southwestern University.

The Rundown

The Tigers put the pressure on the Mountaineers from the start, gaining possession just seconds into the game and winning a throw-in past midfield after just 20 seconds. That throw-in led to Trinity attacking down the left side. Kyra Stafford (Albuquerque, N.M. / Hope Christian) laced a cross into the six-yard box. A Schreiner defender slid to ground to stop a Tiger pass, but the ball deflected to the feet of Alana Wickham (Rockwall, Texas / Rockwall), who turned and fired a low shot that was saved by Schreiner's keeper. Bosco then lofted the loose ball over the outstretched arms of the keeper for the eventual game-winner.

A corner kick by Stafford in the 19th minute led to the next goal, which was another rebound score for Bosco. Stafford's corner floated in front of the box where it was picked up by an unmarked Josephine McCray (Fairway, Kan. / Shawnee Mission East) in the box. McCray's shot was saved and ricocheted high into the air in front of an empty net. Bosco jostled with a defender on the goal line and was able to head the ball in for the goal as both players went down.

Less than three minutes later, Bosco completed her hat trick on an assist from Stafford. Schreiner took a goal kick short and Stafford stepped in front of the second pass and beat her defender down the left side. She hit a low cross in front of goal and Bosco redirected it into the right corner of the net with her right foot.

In the 40th minute, Cassie Bowers (Lafayette, La. / Episcopal School of Acadiana) finished off the first-half scoring with a goal from just above the penalty spot. Schreiner had a throw-in deep in its defensive half and its attempted clearance was picked off by Trinity. Maya Ozymy (Dallas, Texas / Coppell) took the pass at the top of the box while fighting off a defender. She was forced to retreat out of the box as she turned and found Emily Hayes (Allen, Texas / Allen), who fed the ball into an open Bowers for the score.

Schreiner played maybe its best soccer at the start of the second half, but it wasn't enough to get back into the game as Trinity's defense allowed just two shots in the game. Trinity finished off the scoring in the 83rd minute with Hayes collecting another assist. The goal came on a corner that was taken by Hayes on the right side of the goal. The ball was played back to the right side where Bella Ferruzzi (McKinney, Texas / Boyd) picked it up just outside the corner of the 18-yard box. She passed it back to Hayes, who turned and crossed it to the far post. From there, defender Ashlyn Zingelmann (San Antonio, Texas / Brandeis) was able to head the ball into the left side of the net for the score.

Numbers to Note

With her third hat trick of the season, Bosco takes over the team lead with 19 goals scored overall and increases her team lead with her eighth game-winning score. She also leads the Tigers with 47 points scored on the year. Only seven Trinity players in school history have scored 20 or more goals in a season.

Stafford collected her team-best 11th assist of the season, which is two assists ahead of Bosco.

Hayes scored her second and third assists of the year, while Wickham logged her fifth of the season.

Ozymy joined a group of four players who have scored 20 or more points this season. The sophomore has scored seven goals and six assists – tied for third on the team in assists. 

Up Next

Trinity will play for the SCAC Championship on Sunday, November 6, at 1:00 p.m. against either Southwestern or Texas Lutheran.