The Belmont Abbey women's soccer team controlled the match from the start as the Crusaders scored early and added two more late to earn a 3-0 Conference Carolinas win over the visiting North Greenville Crusaders this afternoon at Alumni Field before a Homecoming crowd of 700. The win, the Abbey's second-straight, moves the Crusader record to 5-6-0 overall and 4-1-0 in Conference Carolinas, while North Greenville remains winless at 0-10-0 overall and 0-7-0 in league play.

North Greenville held possession early in the match, but the Abbey defense kept the scoring at bay as Simone Melvin put the Crusaders on top in the 14th minute. Alana Ryczek sent a low, rapidly paced corner kick to the corner of the six yard box, where Melvin outmuscled a defender and spun the ball off her right foot and just inside the right corner of the net for her first goal of the year.

The advantage stayed at 1-0 until there were under ten minutes left when Ryczek added her second assist on the day, as she lofted a high free kick from 40 yards out to the left corner of the goal, where freshman Meghan Philp, on her 19th birthday, headed the ball back against traffic and past Krista Young into the lower right corner of the net.

Just over two minutes later, senior defender Brandi Clark scored for the first time this season, as she got free down the right side and, just as she entered the box, lifted a high, paced shot past Young for the goal.

Belmont Abbey dominated the stats, outshooting North Greenville 22-6 and as well as a commanding 10-2 edge in corner kicks.

Young finished with nine saves, while Hannah Kohls was not tested.