Scott McLendon
Staff Writer
A flurry of goals in the second half propelled the Troy soccer team to a 3-0 victory at Murray State on Saturday, Aug. 15.
The match was the last of the pre-season exhibitions for the Trojans before they begin regular season play later this week. After losing their first exhibition match, they looked to bounce back against the Racers.
The Trojans started out aggressive offensively, and as a result had two goals disallowed in the first half due to offside calls.
Senior midfielder Jasmine Fahrnbauer opened up the scoring in the 50th minute to get the Trojans going. Eighteen minutes later, Fahrnbauer followed up with a header to score her second goal of the game. Sophomore defender Layna Hatfield recorded the assist for the goal with a well-placed free kick.
Sophomore forward Natalie Melillo put the game away with her own goal in the 73rd minute when she drilled a free kick past the Racers’ keeper to give Troy a three-goal advantage.
“I thought the team played well and I’m proud of where we’re at,” head coach Jason Hamilton said. “Overall, I was very happy with the performance today and it was a great way to wrap up the preseason and get us ready for next weekend’s home opener.”
Sophomore goalkeeper Mikki Lewis and the Trojan defense recorded their first shutout of the year, a feat they hope to repeat as the regular season commences. The Trojans had 13 shutouts in the 2014 season.
The Trojans begin their regular season when they play at home against Gardner-Webb on Friday, Aug. 21. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
