MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (Aug. 18, 2024) – Behind a brace from junior forward Taylor White, the West Virginia University women’s soccer team earned a 5-0 win over Radford at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Led by a pair of scores from White, fifth-year senior midfielders Lilly McCarthy and AJ Rodriguez and senior forward Dilary Heredia-Beltran also found the back of the net against the Highlanders. Of note, White’s brace marked the first two-goal performance by a Mountaineer since Rodriguez scored two at Oklahoma on Oct. 23, 2022.
Heredia-Beltran opened the scoring for West Virginia in the 22nd minute after a pair of one-touch passes from junior forward Ajanae Respass and redshirt freshman defender Gianna Koss set her up in the 18-yard box for the open look. Just over five minutes later, Rodriguez doubled the Mountaineer lead when she received a pass from fifth-year senior forward Chloe Adler. Rodriguez used a little help from the far post to bounce it in for the score.
The final goal of the first half came from White in the 38th minute. A pair of well-placed passes from sophomore forwards Abbey Olexa and Olivia Shertzer help set up the scoring play. WVU went into the locker room with a 3-0 lead at the half.
Out of the break, West Virginia picked up where it left off in the first half despite a goalkeeper change from the Highlanders. Just two minutes into the period, McCarthy sent an absolute rocket into the upper left corner of the net for the impressive goal.
White got her second tally in the 59th minute after Heredia-Beltran took possession near midfield. She dribbled into the Mountaineers’ attacking third and slotted the ball through the Radford defenders to find White and set her up for West Virginia’s fifth and final goal of the afternoon.
In the final box score, WVU fired 21 shots, led by four from Respass, and placed 10 of those shots on goal. The Mountaineers also earned eight corner kicks on the day. Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Mackenzie Smith was called on to make three saves, while earning another clean sheet with second-half help from redshirt sophomore keeper Bailey Herfurth in her first career appearance for West Virginia.
Of note, the Mountaineers are now 2-0 to start a season for first time since 2020. Heredia-Beltran also recorded a goal and an assist in Sunday’s match, becoming the first to do so since four different Mountaineers tallied one goal and one assist in a 9-0 win over Saint Francis on Aug. 20, 2023.
In addition to Herfurth, freshman forward Taylor Allen also earned her first career minutes in gold and blue on Sunday afternoon.
The Mountaineers now prepare for their first road match of the 2024 campaign, when they travel to No. 5 Clemson on Friday, Aug. 23. Kickoff at Riggs Field in Clemson, South Carolina, is tabbed for 7 p.m. ET.
Press Release and Photo Courtesy of WVU Athletics Communications
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