READING, Pa. - The No. 14 Arcadia University women's soccer team netted a season-high six goals - including a pair of career-firsts from Riley Ratcliffe and Michaella Merklin - to pick up its third Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Commonwealth victory in its last four games over Alvernia, 6-0. The result marked the Knights' third-straight shutout and 11th in their 15 games this season.

Erin Vander Plaat, Karlie Flowers, Kayla Murphy and Emily Readinger also added tallies for Arcadia on the night, while Julia Mendez recorded her first shutout in her first-career start in goal. The Knights have now won six-straight and 12 of thieir last 14 games against Alvernia.

HOW IT HAPPENED
-Vander Plaat got the Knights off to a fast start by netting her fourth goal of the season just a minute into the contest. The Knights netted their second goal of the opening half in the 26th minute when Veronica Garcia found Readinger in front of the net who then buried it past the Golden Wolves' keeper bottom left, sending Arcadia to the half with a two-goal advantage.

-The Knights added on to their lead in the opening minutes of the second half when Vander Plaat drew a foul in the box and Karlie Flowers deposited the penalty kick in the back of the net for her fourth score of 2019 and the first of four Arcadia tallies in the second half.

-Just three minutes later, Murphy fielded a pass from Readinger and sent it past the keeper to extend the Knight lead to four. Merklin and Ratcliffe each found the back of the net in the 75th and 77th minutes, respectively, to cap off the 6-0 victory with their first-career scores.

KNIGHT LEADERS
-Goals: Ratcliffe (1), Vander Plaat (4), Flowers (4), Murphy (1), Merklin (1), Readinger (3)
-Assists: Garcia (1), Murphy (4), Rhodes (1)
-Points: Murphy 3 (6), Ratcliffe 2 (3), Vander Plaat 2 (10), Flowers 2 (8), Merklin 2 (2), Readinger 2 (6), Garcia (1), Rhodes (3)
-Saves: Mendez 1

TEAM COMPARISON
-Arcadia outshot Alvernia 28-4 on the night, including a 15-1 advantage in shots on goal.
-The Knights took eight corner kicks in the conference victory, while the Golden Wolves finished with only one coming in the first half.

UP NEXT
No. 14 Arcadia (12-1-2, 3-0-1 MAC Commonwealth) returns home to Jean Lenox West Field Saturday to host Albright at 4 p.m.