Belmont Abbey scored two goals in the opening 17 minutes and held Tusculum to just four shots as the Crusaders women's soccer team moved its winning streak to eight with a 2-0 clean sheet victory this afternoon at Alumni Field. Belmont Abbey records its ninth shutout of the year and its third in a row as the record improves to 11-2-1, while Tusculum drops to 8-6-1.

Earlier in the afternoon, right around the start of the second half, the Crusaders learned they were ranked seventh in the Southeast Region in the first NCAA regional rankings of the year.

Meghan Philp and Cierra Skyers scored both of the goals with Laura Shelton earning the assist on both as the Crusaders controlled the match from the start.

Philp netted her team leading eleventh goal of the year at the exact seven minute mark, taking a pass from Shelton, dribbling to the center of the box, used a nifty fake to eluder her mark and fired a low shot into the lower left corner of the net for a 1-0 lead.

9:40 later, Skyers made it 2-0 as she recorded her tenth goal of 2015, one timing a Shelton pass that was blocked by a defender, but the rebound came right back to her and she easily tapped in the goal to double the Crusaders lead.

Both defenses took control from there, but it was Shelton who nearly made it 3-0 in the 60th minute.

Intercepting a pass deep in the Pioneers end, she dribbled back towards the center of the pitch before turning, and from 35 yards out and to the left of the box, curled a shot that was destined to reach the upper right hand corner, but it met the crossbar and bounced away. The rebound came to Amanda Steiner, whose shot sailed just left.

Goalkeeper Megan Bowen moved her record to 8-1-0 as she made a pair of saves, both in the second half.

Belmont Abbey outshot the Pioneers 15-4 and held a 4-3 edge in corner kicks.

The Crusaders are back in action Saturday at 1:00 when hosting Erskine.