Taylor’s goal-scoring clinic guides Flyers women’s soccer to pair of season-opening wins
Junior midfielder Marlee Taylor scored both goals in the Flyers’ 2-0 win over Akron on Friday, and scored the first two goals within 15 minutes of kickoff in Sunday’s 5-0 win over Akron. Photo courtesy of Dayton Flyers athletics.
Peter Burtnett | Sports Editor
With a pair of goals each against Akron and Kent State, junior attacking midfielder Marlee Taylor led the way in 2-0 and 5-0 wins over the Zips and Golden Flashes on Aug. 19 and 21.
The first hour and 24 minutes of the match against Akron went scoreless, before a cross from sophomore attacking midfielder Diana Benigno was slotted into the bottom left corner of the net by Taylor to open the scoring. Three minutes later, a shot from freshman winger Noel Blain rebounded to Taylor, who fired home a second goal for her 11th career goal at UD to seal a 2-0 win.
Against Kent State, the floodgates opened. Just five minutes into the game, Taylor received the ball from junior winger Jessica Sheldon in the center of the field and took the ball through the Golden Flashes’ defense and fired a shot into the back of the net from just outside the penalty box.
15 minutes later, she scored her second unassisted, bringing her season total to 4 goals through just two matches. Due to her goal-scoring prowess, Taylor earned Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Week honors, and was joined by junior defender Mackenzie Lutz, who was named Defensive Player of the Week as the Flyers kept two clean sheets.
In the 35th minute, Blain was assisted by sophomore midfielder Madison Wilson and scored the Flyers’ third goal.
Four minutes into the second half, Sheldon scored the fourth for the Flyers from a corner that was assisted by seniors Lexy Kidd and Hannah Osland. The fifth goal was scored by junior forward Laney Huber just shy of the hour mark. The Flyers’ defense held firm to keep the clean sheet, and the team came away with a dominant 5-0 win.
“I am really proud of how the team performed today, and happy for them as their performance was rewarded with another good result on the road,” head coach Eric Golz said after Sunday’s game. “We maintained our composure, were much more efficient with our finishing, and we were able to manage the momentum with some well-executed and well-timed goals. It was a good opening weekend, we look forward to building on it this week as we prepare for our home opener on Thursday night!”
On Thursday, the Flyers return to Baujan Field to face Northern Kentucky at 7 p.m.
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