The Troy socccer team recorded seven goals in two games this weekend, as it dismantled Texas State 4-1 on Friday, Oct. 9, and Appalachian State 3-0 on Sunday, Oct. 11.
With the pair of victories, the Trojans (11-3, 4-1 Sun Belt) earned two more impressive conference wins and improved their home record to 5-1 this season.
Troy started its pair of weekend games with a matchup against Texas State (8-4, 2-2 Sun Belt), which saw the home team tear apart the Bobcats’ defense.
“When it’s a game that you’re in control of like that, it’s great to play all 22 players that you can play,” said second year head coach Jason Hamilton. “We only had two players that played over 60 minutes, which is great for us especially going into a Sunday game.
“We were able to get some players off the bench to get some experience, and I thought those players did a great job, too.”
Senior forward Chelsey Williams helped get the Trojans off to a fast start, scoring her fifth goal of the season due to an assist from freshman midfielder Robyn-Anne Whittaker in the 16th minute.
Whittaker then went on to score her second and third goals of the season in the 31st and 35th minutes, respectively, to secure a Trojan victory.
“I could have been better in transition,” Whittaker said, regarding her performance. “The two goals were a plus, but there’s always room to improve.”
Texas State was never able to gain much ground against the home team and struggled to slow the Trojans’ midfield ball movement throughout the game.
The final nail in the coffin was hammered in by another underclassman. Freshman forward Brooke McKee scored off a corner kick assist from senior midfielder Alissa Jones in the 55th minute.
Sophomore forward Kassi Hormuth put the Bobcats on the board late in the game, but it was too little, too late. Troy cruised to a 4-1 victory.
The second weekend was handled with a similar level of dominance by the Trojans. Appalachian State (6-5-3, 2-2-1 Sun Belt) could not handle its trio of second-half goals.
Of the Trojans’ seven shots in the second half, seven were on target, with three of those finding their way past the keeper. The Mountaineers recorded only seven shots in the match.
Senior midfielder Jasmine Fahrnbauer put the Trojans on the board first when she scored her first goal of the season. Appalachian State was unable to slow good ball movement and dominant possession by Troy in the second half.
Senior midfielder Alissa Jones scored her fifth and sixth goals of the season, assisted by Williams in both, to lift the Trojans to their seventh shutout of the season.
“At halftime we talked about a little bit more energy and being opportunistic,” Hamilton said. “We had some good looks in the first half; Abby had one at the end, and Jasmine had one that the keeper made a fantastic save on, and Robyn had a couple as well.”
The Trojans will look to add to their success when they travel to play at Georgia Southern on Friday, Oct. 16. Kickoff in Statesboro, Georgia, is set for 6 p.m.
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