ST. LOUIS – Maryville women's soccer picked up its first Great Lakes Valley Conference victory with a four-goal performance and a shutout of the University of Illinois Springfield on Friday afternoon. The Saints, led by Lexi Gentry's three-point day, moved their record to 3-2-1 overall and 1-0-1 in the GLVC.
 
Right from the starting kick-off, the women dominated the game. They earned a corner kick at 1:04 and continued offensive pressure leading to Molly Krispin's shot attempt that went out left. A minute and a half later, Sara Lawler threaded the needle on a pass to Lexi Gentry who beat the defender and then the goalie with a low shot inside the right post for the lead.
 
Madison Canoy took possession of the ball just beyond midfield in the 28th minute and weaved her way through a pair of defenders to be met by a third in the box. The St. Louis native slowed, cut left, and fired a shot with her left foot to beat the UIS goalkeeper to the low-right corner of the net for a 2-0 advantage.
 
Leaving halftime with a 2-0 lead, Maryville kept their foot on the gas. After battling for a loose ball in the offensive zone, Gentry sent a through ball up to Ashlyne Hunt. Now one-on-one with the goalkeeper in the box, Hunt put it on her left foot and found twine for the first time in her collegiate career to extend the lead.
 
Gina Catanzaro also bagged her first career goal in the 82nd minute when Chanda Breeggemann forced a turnover at midfield and put a perfect pass into the box. Catanzaro sent the feed home with a right-footed finish for the fourth goal in the contest. Eight minutes later, time expired to give the Saints a 4-0 win and their first conference win of the season.
 
"It was great to see our offense begin to click today," said Head Women's Soccer Coach Lori Chalupny. "I thought the timing of our runs and the quality of final passes were great. Plus, scoring an early goal always helps calm the nerves and allowed us to settle into the game. Hopefully, we can carry this momentum through the weekend."
 
The Saints will continue conference play on Sunday, Sept. 18 in a matchup against Lewis University. Kickoff is scheduled for noon at the Maryville Soccer Field.