SAN ANTONIO – The Tiger women's soccer team capped a Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference weekend with a decisive 9-0 win over Centenary College on Sunday afternoon.

Trinity improved to 9-4-2 this season, securing its seventh consecutive victory. The Tigers are also now 6-0-0 in SCAC play after the team's seventh consecutive victory, and the defense has posted six shutouts during that seven-game win streak. Today's game was also the best offensive game of the year for the Tigers, who finished with a season-best nine goals on a whopping 50 shots taken – including 21 shots on goal in the game.

Micaela Bosco (Weatherford, Texas / Weatherford) scored her first hat trick of the season, finishing with three goals by the 51st minute of play on Sunday. She notched three hat tricks last season, including a career-best four goals just over a year ago (10/12/22). Bosco also added an assist in the game and is now the team leader with 16 points (six goals, four assists) on the year.
Hanna Khan (Southlake, Texas / Carroll) had a goal and two assists in the game, taking over the team lead with five assists now this season. She assisted on the first two goals that came less than 10 minutes into the game, then scored the first goal of the second half for the Tigers.

Abby Schneider (Albuquerque, N.M. / Bosque School) remained the team leader in goals scored after she scored her seventh of the season in the first half of play.

Lauren Little (Houston, Texas / Episcopal) picked up her first career shutout in her first career start today, leading a defense that didn't allow Centenar to get off a single shot over 90 minutes.

The Rundown
The scoring started less than five minutes into the game as a short goal kick was deflected back to Khan at the top of the box. After losing the ball on her initial turn, she stole the ball back immediately and turned again towards the end line. Her left-footed cross got past Bosco, but Kyra Stafford (Albuquerque, N.M. / Hope Christian) was there on the back post for an easy score that turned out to be the game-winner.

Less than five minutes later, Trinity was on the board again. The play started after a shot by Josephine McCray (Fairway, Kan. / Shawnee Mission East) was saved. The ensuing punt from the goalkeeper was controlled by Trinity and played forward to Khan. After a deflection by Centenary, Khan took possession and spun inside this time, but then cut back outside and down the left for a similar cross to her first assist. This time Bosco did get on the end of it at the near post for her first of the day and a 2-0 Tiger lead.

As the game approached 21 minutes to go in the first half, Stafford played a deep ball past Centenary's back line and Bosco split a pair of defenders to get on the end of it. She dribbled into the box, then smashed a low shot under the keeper for a 3-0 lead with her second of the day.

Just a few minutes later, Schneider got in on the action with a goal in the 32nd minute of play. Trinity's initial attack was turned away by the Centenary defense, but Emily Hayes (Allen, Texas / Allen) blocked an attempted clearance and Schneider found the loose ball in the box. Her initial attempt was blocked, but the ball stayed at her feet. She moved around the defender for another attempt, which was off the hands of the keeper and then into the net for a score.

After spending most of the half keeping Centenary from any scoring opportunities, defender Bailey Meyer (Southlake, Texas / Carroll) came forward on a corner kick to contribute to the scoring column. The corner was taken by Hayes and initially stopped by Centenary, but Nina Pollak (Bethesda, Md. / Bethesda-Chevy Chase) kept the ball alive and poked it back across the face of the goal. The Ladies defenders weren't able to clear it, and the ball rolled straight to Meyer in the middle of the goal where she poked it in from point-blank range for the final goal of the half.

Up 5-0 at the half, Trinity needed just over three minutes to get the offense going again in the second period – this time with Bosco assisting Khan on the score. The Tigers were attacking down the right side of the field when Centenary's defense cut them off and tried to build up a counterattack. Near midfield, Malea Cesar (Portland, Ore. / Sunset) stepped in front of a pass to reclaim possession for the Tigers. She dropped off to the sideline for Bosco, who promptly made a quick move down the field. Bosco cut in and sent in a cross from just inside the box, where Khan was able to redirect it home from a couple of yards away to make it 6-0.

It wasn't long until Trinity was at it again in the 51st minute of play. Bosco was attacking again down the right side, but instead of a cross this time, she dribbled across the top of the box and took a shot from the middle of the field that was blocked by the Centenary defense. The Ladies were called for a handball penalty on the block, though, and Bosco also converted the penalty kick to finish off her hat trick.

In the 59th minute, a pair of Tiger newcomers combined for the next score to give the home team an 8-0 advantage. Reese Wallace (Oak Park, Calif. / Oak Park) started the play by taking a loose ball back across midfield, but after being blocked her pass continued forward and eventually found Madisyn Barganski (Corpus Christi, Texas / Flour Bluff). Barganski caught the defense off guard by playing the ball back to Cesar, who quickly gave a return pass to Barganski who had already made her move towards goal. Barganski lined it up from inside the box and buried a shot in the back of the net.

The final goal came in the 84th minute after a short goal kick once again turned into a scoring chance for Trinity. Centenary dribbled forward towards midfield, but Pollak and Clara Richards (Buffalo, N.Y. / Williamsville South) were both there to trap the Centenary player and Richards poked the ball away back towards the goal. Siena Robinson (Lakeway, Texas / Lake Travis) was there to pick it up but Centenary initially tackled the ball away. She calmly collected it again and cut around the defender to find an opening. Robinson then dribbled forward and scored her first collegiate goal on a shot from just outside the 18-yard box.

Up Next
The Tigers will finish off the regular season schedule at home against Schreiner University next weekend. The season finale will be Friday, October 27, at 5:30 p.m., and will be part of Trinity University's Alumni Weekend.