NO. 18 DRAGONS BLANK NJC IN 2023 SEASON OPENER

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

A pair of freshmen had memorable debuts and the No. 18-ranked Hutchinson Community College women's soccer team earned its fourth-straight season-opening victory on Sunday morning against Northeastern Junior College.

The Blue Dragons scored six first-half goals and rolled to a 7-0 victory over the Plainswomen at the Salthawk Sports Complex. The game was moved up to 10 a.m. to avoid the intense summer heat.

The 1-0 Blue Dragons open Jayhawk Conference play on Wednesday at Garden City with a scheduled 6 p.m. kickoff at Broncbuster Stadium.

The victory was the 248th in the coaching career of Hutchinson head coach Sammy Lane. The Blue Dragons are now 15-4-0 all-time in season openers.

Freshman Katharina Marx had a five-point game in her Blue Dragon debut with a goal and three assists. Freshman Kaitlyn Edwards scored two goals for a four-point game as the Blue Dragons out-shot NJC 24-1 and held the Plainswomen to no shots on goal.

Marx's five points are the most by a Blue Dragon making their debut since Sheena Nicol had a four-point game against North Lake College in the 2016 opener. She is also the 15th Blue Dragon to have three assists in one half.

Edwards became the first Blue Dragon to have a multi-goal game in their Blue Dragon debut since Sydney Blackwell had two goals against Northeast Nebraska in 2018.

Sophomores Adriana Delgado, Jayda Wyatt and Tatiana Mayumi, along with freshman Maria Azevedo all scored goals for Hutchinson on Sunday.

Freshman goalkeeper Karsyn Slothower earned her first career shutout and didn't have to make a save.

Delgado started the scoring for the Dragons when working on the left side of the penalty box, she made several 1-on-1 moves to gain some space and ripped a shot from 16 yards out to score an unassisted goal at the 33:21 mark of the first half and a 1-0 lead.

Just 1 minute, 12 seconds later, Mayumi found herself with a nearly wide-open net after a Marx cross from the right side. Mayumi scored to make it 2-0 with 32:09 to play. Sophomore Destiny Hoy was credited with a secondary assist.

The Dragons made it 3-0 when Marx was working on the right side of the goal. She made a quick drive to the net and flicked a pass to a driving Azevedo, who scored for a 3-0 lead with 27:19 to play in the first half.

Edwards scored the fourth and fifth goals of the half. First, she took a long pass from Kendra Brungardt and lobbed a shot from about 35-yards out over the head of NJC keeper Jasmine Enright with 24:25 to play in the half. Edwards tallied her second goal on Marx's third assist of the half for a 5-0 lead with 11:42 left in the half.

Marx's first goal came with 10:45 remaining. Mailee Harnisch was credited with the assist.

The Dragons led 6-0 at halftime, outshooting NJC 17-1 in the opening 45 minutes.

The only goal of the second half came from a Wyatt penalty kick five minutes into the half for a 7-0 lead.

GAME NOTES – The Blue Dragons are now 16-3-0 all-time in home openers. … The seven-goal margin of victory and the seven goals scored are the most on Opening Day since the Dragons scored 10 in a 10-0 win over North Lake College in 2016. … The Blue Dragons are 2-0 all-time against Northeastern Junior College. … This was Hutchinson's 11th Opening Day shutout. … This was the 57th time in Blue Dragon history to hold an opponent to one or zero shots taken and was the 49th time to hold an opponent to no shots on goals in a game. … Katharina Marx is the 59th player to have a three-assist game.