Box Score MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University women's soccer team scored a program-record nine goals to top Saint Francis (Pa.), 9-0, in the 2023 home opener at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium in Morgantown in Sunday afternoon.
 
Nine different Mountaineers found the back of the net on Sunday, including four who tallied a goal and an assist and three who scored their first-ever goal as a Mountaineer. In all, WVU (1-1) fired 33 shots and placed 18 shots on goal, while keeping SFU (0-2) from tallying a single shot in the match.
 
West Virginia's nine goals marks its highest total in program history, topping the previous best of eight goals, a total that has been reached three times, most recently against Villanova on Sept. 6, 2015 (W, 8-0). The Mountaineers' 23 total points in Sunday's contest are the second-highest in program history and the most since the 8-0 win over Villanova. WVU's 18 shots on goal marks its highest since recording 16 against Saint Joseph's on Aug. 21, 2022, while its 33 shots are the most since last year's matchup with Saint Francis on Sept. 12.
 
While the Mountaineer offensive stole the show, the WVU defense held Saint Francis to no shots the entire match, with one corner kick as its lone offensive stat. The performance marks the 17th time since 2016 that West Virginia has denied an opponent of a single shot on goal and the first time since Sept. 12, 2021, against SFU.
 
An unassisted goal from senior midfielder AJ Rodriguez opened the scoring in the 12th minute, followed by a second tally from junior forward Dilary Heredia-Beltran not even five minutes later. Fifth-year seniors Maddie Moreau and Maya McCutcheon were credited with assists on Heredia-Beltran's goal. Moreau then capped the first-half scoring with a header goal from the foot of senior midfielder Lilly McCarthy in the 27th minute. The Mountaineers went to the locker room with a 3-0 lead after 45 minutes of play.
 
The WVU offense truly found its stride in the second half, scoring six goals to further solidify the victory. An unassisted goal from McCutcheon in the 53rd minute opened the second-half scoring, while sophomore forward Taylor White followed just minutes later with the first goal of her Mountaineer career – a header that was well-placed inside the box by Rodriguez.
 
West Virginia then went on to score four goals in the final 20 minutes of play, which began with sophomore forward Emily Thompson's tally that was assisted by freshman forward Jordyn Wilson. From there, Wilson, sophomore forward Natalie Zibinskas and fifth-year senior forward/defender Julianne Vallerand each recorded an unassisted goal to ultimately break WVU's single-game scoring record and take home the 9-0 win.
 
McCutcheon, Moreau, Rodriguez and Wilson each tallied one goal and one assist in the win, marking the first time four different players have completed the feat in one match. White, Wilson and Zibinskas also became first-time goal scorers for the Mountaineers on Sunday.
 
With the victory, WVU remains undefeated against the Red Flash all-time (7-0), including a perfect, 6-0 mark in games played in Morgantown.
 
A total of 27 different players saw the field for WVU on Sunday, including seven who took the pitch for the first time in their Mountaineer careers. Junior Kassidy Roshong, sophomore Mackenzie Smith and freshmen Mila Erceg, Nyema Ingleton, Abbey Olexa and Jacey Rase recorded their first appearances in gold and blue.
 
Up next, West Virginia continues its three-game homestand when it plays host to No. 10 Penn State on Thursday, Aug. 24. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. ET, in the first game of a men's and women's soccer doubleheader at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium. The Mountaineers will celebrate their 2022 Big 12 Tournament title with a special poster giveaway and a photo opportunity with the Big 12 Tournament trophy.
 
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUWomensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.