SEU Women’s Soccer Rockets Past Royals with Balanced Effort

LAKELAND, Fla.- The No. 3 Southeastern University women’s soccer team earned its sixth-straight win of the season with a 5-1 victory over the Hope International University Royals at the SEU Soccer Complex. Four different players netted goals for SEU.
SEU struck first in the 10th minute, as freshman Chloe Martin netted the first goal of her collegiate career. Graduated center back Isamar Duran played a deflection off a Fire corner kick to senior midfielder and sister Bania Duran, who played the ball to Martin about 25 yards out, which she rocketed into the upper left side of the net.
The Royals answered with their lone goal of the match in the 23rd minute, as Leigha Williams finished a cross from Haley Johnson to tie things up 1-1.
The Fire earned the go-ahead goal in the 38th minute off the foot of senior forward Uchenna Kanu, who finished a short cross from graduate forward Yulie Lopez to put SEU up 2-1.
After out-shooting HIU 12-7 in the first half, the Fire took their 2-1 advantage into the locker room.
Just 3:03 into the second half, junior forward Aisha Solorzano found the back of the net after beating out a pair of HIU defenders and rocketing the ball through the hands of the Royals’ keeper to make it 3-1 in favor of Southeastern. The goal was Solorzano’s sixth goal of the season.
Bania Duran tallied one for the Fire in the 60th minute after excellent build-up play from Lopez and Kanu.
Kanu rounded out the scoring for Southeastern in the 63rd minute with her 14th goal of the season after a nice through ball by Bania Duran to Lopez, who crossed the ball to the Abia, Nigeria native.
Lopez recorded her first three-assist game in an SEU uniform tonight.
Southeastern now turns its focus to a highly-anticipated NAIA-Top 10 match-up this weekend. The Fire host the No. 6 University of Northwestern Ohio Racers on Saturday at 12 p.m.