Women’s Soccer started their season on the right–and left–foot, going 3-0 this past week with multiple away victories, and another against a D-II opponent.
The season opener was on the road against Mary Baldwin where the team led 2-0 at the half and didn’t take their foot off the gas, winning 5-2.
“Overall, we played fantastic,” Head Coach Erin Saleeby said. “Performance wise, everybody did well, everybody did what was asked from them, and everybody played with really good energy.”
Bri Bitz, senior opened the scoring for the Panthers to start the season.
“We started a little frantic,” Saleeby said. “Beginning of the season everyone’s got a little adrenaline and then we scored a goal, and I think everyone had a sigh of relief, and then we started to play better soccer.”
Bitz recorded her first career hat trick.
“I feel amazing. It’s definitely a great feeling, but coming back from a surgery and a huge injury and starting my senior season with that really feels incredible,” Bitz said. “To also watch another senior Ash (Ashlynn Mitchum) get two goals was amazing. It felt good getting back out there with the team and accomplish a personal goal, but also a team goal to kick off the season.”
Bitz had a hip impingement that required off-season surgery.
Saleeby said Bitz only been with the team for two years, but she’s the captain and leader. Everyone looks up to her and embodies what we want in a person. She’s been working really hard.
“She’s been working really hard,” Saleeby said. “She’s worked hard in the off-season. She is rehabbing of her surgery. Last season she was not 100%, but she is a force right now. It was also exciting seeing a freshman (Breanna Herlihy) get two assists to her as well.”
Mitcham netted two goals for the team where they led by as much as five before Mary Baldwin scored two goals in the second half.
“Ashlynn played fantastic, especially in the second half,” Saleeby said. “She saw space, she exploited it, and mid fielders did a very nice job feeding her the ball. Jessie (Howison, freshman) had a really nice assist, and Jadyn (Patton, junior) had another.”
Game two was against Greensboro College.
Last year the team lost a heartbreaker 1-0 at home against the The Pride.
The team took revenge on the road and took home a 4-1 win, netting four goals with four different scorers.
“Our mid-fielders and our forwards are connecting better than they ever have before,” Saleeby said.
Women’s Soccer hasn’t beat Greensboro College in nine seasons.
So this win held something extra for the team.
“They were very excited,” Saleeby said.
Saleeby also said that the out of conference games help prepare them for the strong ODAC opponents.
That’s why game three–the team’s home opener–was against Virginia State which is a D-II opponent.
But the team gave home fans something to cheer about with four first-half goals, and a 5-1 win.
Bitz and Katie Light, freshman scored two goals each, and Jadyn Patton scored a goal with an assist.
“I think it’s the most complete team I’ve coached since I’ve been here,” Saleeby said. “For them, it’s just about staying humble but hungry. Don’t be satisfied from where you are right now, you have to put the work in to get better. You can’t look backwards at what you’ve done, you’ve got to push forward.”
Women’s Soccer takes the field again at home Wednesday against Johnson and Wales and will travel to North Carolina Wesleyan Saturday.
“I think it definitely gives us a boost in momentum going forward,” Bitz said about the team’s early wins. “This momentum will help take us forward, but we’re trying to take it game by game and feed off this to get double digit wins this season.”
