Oberlin, OH- The Yeowomen soccer team opened their season today win a 4-0 road victory over the Bluffton Beavers. An early goal by Brynn Adams got the scoring started before Morgan Cianfichi, Heather Benway, and Maricel Mecqui added to the score to secure Oberlin's first season-opening victory since 2017.
 
The start of the match saw six rookies take the field, including three true freshmen. Veteran goalkeeper Isabelle Smith earned the starting nod in cage. Right away, the young Yeowomen made their mark as sophomore Adams sent a long shot outside the box into the back of the net, giving Oberlin the first goal of the match. Nearing the midway mark of the half, Camille Franklin looked to add to the lead with a hard shot from the inside of the box but a quick move by the Beaver goalie stopped the ball just short of the goal line, temporarily halting Oberlin's momentum.
 
With under 10 minutes remaining in the half, Grace Burns found herself in front of the cage with the ball off a long cross from Franklin. Burns passed out to Cianfichi who sent the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal, giving the Yeowomen a 2-0 advantage headed into halftime.
 
The momentum carried into the second session as just over a minute in, Sofia Mitchell tallied a shot on goal off a set piece for OC. The Yeowomen and the Beavers swapped possession over the next 10 minutes until Bluffton's midfield looked to make a break towards net. A tough Oberlin backline, anchored by Maia Minson and Grace Hayes, shut down the race to cage and returned the ball to Oberlin's possession. The Crimson and Gold defense continued to battle as they faced back-to-back corner kicks from Bluffton. Coming up big in each set piece, the Yeowomen backline kept the Beavers off the board.
 
Oberlin nearly added to their lead as Zoe Garver sent a shot to the far side of the cage, forcing the Beavers' goalie to make a diving save. It wouldn't be long before Benway found an opportunity, as Mitchell sent a long pass up the middle to the freshman forward who popped the ball over the top of the keeper and into the net, giving Oberlin a 3-0 advantage. Just over two minutes later, Mecqui got in on the scoring action as Mattie Rie sent a pass to the senior from the near-side of the box. Mecqui met the ball at the top of the goalie box and launched it into the upper left corner of the net for the Yeowomen's final goal of the night.

Smith's tallied the fifth shutout of her career while Adams, Cianfichi, and Benway all scored their first-career goals, while Benway also added her first career assist.
 
The Yeowomen take the pitch next for another road match as they head out of state to take on Penn State- Altoona on September 4. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. with a live stream available here and live stats available here.