WILMINGTON, North Carolina – It may have taken UNCW freshman forward
Kayla Burroughs 11 games to get her first career goal, but ever since that moment at James Madison, she has been on fire.
The Asheboro, N.C., native's latest moment came on Sunday afternoon as her second brace in as many games propelled the Seahawks to a 3-1 Colonial Athletic Association women's soccer victory over Delaware at the UNCW Soccer Stadium.
The win, which secured the Seahawks' spot in the four-team CAA Championship field, vaulted the Seahawks to a 10-2-1 overall record and a 6-1-0 mark in league play. Delaware, meanwhile, dropped to 5-9-2 overall with a 2-3-2 mark against CAA foes.
After a scoreless first half, the Seahawks broke the stalemate by scoring two goals in a span of 2 minutes, 8 seconds for a 2-0 advantage. Burroughs struck first when she took a pass from sophomore defender
Bentley Settin inside the penalty area and slipped a shot into the lower left corner.
The Seahawks took advantage of a corner kick and a couple of lucky bounces to extend the margin in the 51st minute. Fifth-year senior forward
Audrey Harding sent a corner kick to the far post which bounced off junior forward
Jordan Faveri to senior defender
Talia Parrous. Parrous knocked the ball into the goal for her first marker of the season and a two-goal edge.
But, Delaware answered just four minutes later on a free kick that found senior midfielder
Olivia Schuck in front of the goal. Schuck secured the loose ball and scored her first goal of the year past sophomore goalkeeper
Blair Barefoot.
UNCW upped the margin back to two goals with 13:08 remaining as Burroughs took a long pass from freshman defender
Halle Johnson and scored her fifth goal of the campaign in a one-on-one situation with senior goalkeeper
Lauren Krinsky.
Barefoot and freshman
Kaylie Bierman combined to make two saves in the victory for UNCW, which was outshot by a 9-6 margin.
Krinsky registered one save in a losing effort for Delaware, which stands 1-3-2 in its last six games.
UNCW plays its final road game of the regular season on Thursday, Oct. 28, with a 7 p.m. CAA contest at the College of Charleston. Delaware welcomes William & Mary for its home finale on Thursday at 7 p.m.
