GLENSIDE, Pa. - The No. 15/21 Arcadia University women's soccer team used three different goal-scorers in the first half to down visiting Widener in Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Commonwealth action Wednesday afternoon, 3-1. Karlie Flowers, Erin Vander Plaat and Mackenzie Hoffman all scored within the game's first 25 minutes to give the Knights a vast advantage early on while the Arcadia back line stayed true to form, limiting the Pride to six shots on the day - only three of which were on goal.

Vander Plaat and Hoffman's tallies were each their sixth of the season to lead the Knights with two games remaining in the regular season.

Brianna Williams made a pair of saves in net to log her eighth clean sheet of the season.

HOW IT HAPPENED
-The match featured a majority of play in the midfield from the start until Hoffman made a charge towards a loose ball in the box in the ninth minute and was taken down by the keeper, resulting in an Arcadia penalty kick. Flowers lined up the opportunity and buried it in the upper right corner of the net past the outstretched keeper for the game's first goal.

-A mere two minutes later, Riley Nyhus took the ball down the right side to the edge of the box before serving into the front of the goal where it was deflected and later controlled by Vander Plaat who fired a shot into the bottom left corner of the net.

-In the 23rd minute, Vander Plaat had a shot on goal blocked but Hoffman was right there to control the deflection in the center of the box and beat the Widener keeper upper right with a right-footed strike. The Knights had one last opportunity of the half in the 31st minute when Veronica Garica's free kick was met perfectly in front of the net by Amanda McHugh who sent it to the back of the net, but the goal was waved off by an offsides call.

-In the final moments of the first half, a Widener corner resulted in a clear opportunity on net from the top of the 18, but Williams leapt vertically to get a piece of the ball and deflect it off the crossbar, sending the Knights into the break with a three-goal lead.

-Hoffman nearly netted her second goal of the afternoon in the 48th minute when her shot was deflected by the keeper off the crossbar and cleared away, thwarting any Arcadia chance to extend the lead to four.

KNIGHT LEADERS
-Goals: Hoffman (6), Vander Plaat (6), Flowers (5)
-Assists: Nyhus (2)
-Points: Hoffman 2 (13), Vander Plaat 2 (14), Flowers 2 (10), Nyhus (6)
-Saves: Williams 2

TEAM COMPARISON
-Arcadia outshot the Pride 16-6 on the afternoon, including a 9-2 edge in the first half.
-The Knights held a 9-3 advantage in shots on goal.
-Widener led the match with five corner kicks opposite the Knights' four.

UP NEXT
No. 15/21 Arcadia (13-2-2, 4-1-1 MAC Commonwealth) travels to Hood Saturday for a 1 p.m. MAC Commonwealth matchup.