Senior Madeline Weltin scored twice in the first half to pace Canisius in a 5-0 victory over Binghamton in intercollegiate women's soccer action Thursday at the Demske Sports Complex.
The Golden Griffins open their 2024 campaign with a win while the Bearcats fell to 1-1-0 on the young season with Thursday's setback.
Canisius took control of the game in the early going, scoring three goals in the first 15 minutes of the contest. junior Lizzy Harkness got the Griffs on the board in the fifth minute when she got her foot on a free kick from sophomore Jessica Whitaker that snuck past Binghamton keeper Rebecca Kessler.
Weltin followed up Harkness' opening strike with a pair of tallies in a 5:43 span to stretch the Canisius cushion to 3-0. The Lombard, Ill., native notched her first of the game at the 8:11 mark when she headed home a cross from senior Erin Weir that was also assisted by junior Emma Oliphant.
Weltin made it a 3-0 game moments later her first goal, collecting a loose ball that was created when junior Skylar Cornell forced a turnover deep in Bearcats end of the field and firing it into the Bearcats goal from outside the box.
Canisius added to its lead in the opening minutes of the second half as Cornell got fouled in the box, leading to a penalty kick goal from senior Alicia Zamora to give the Griffs a 4-0 advantage.
Weir closed out the scoring in the 64th minute, netting her first career goal after a scrum in front of the net with the Bearcats defenders off a pass from Cornell.
Senior keeper Jordan Spencer got the start in net for the Griffs, making three saves to record her 10th career shutout.
GAME NOTES
• Thursday's game served as the ninth all-time meeting between the two programs. The Griffs picked up their second win in the series with the Bearcats with Thursday's victory.
• Canisius scored five-or-more goals in a game for the first time since the 2015 season, when it sent a program record for goals scored in a 16-1 victory over Hampton on Aug. 21, 2015
• The five goals are the most scored during a game by the Griffs in the Ryan Louis era
• Weir scored her first collegiate goal on Thursday while Zamora netted her first goal as a Griff
• Freshmen Azaria Fagan, Meghan Joerger, Mya Jones and sophomore Mary Molloy all made their Canisius debuts
• The Griffs out-shot the Bearcats a 17-5 total, highlighted by a 10-3 advantage in shots on goal
Up Next
Canisius returns to action Aug. 29 when it hosts Youngstown State. Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m. at the Demske Sports Complex. The game is part of a soccer doubleheader that will see the Canisius men's team host Little Three rival St. Bonaventure at 6 p.m.
