Peterson, Manning score first career goals as Bucs clinch best start in program history

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Sept. 2, 2014) - Eight ETSU players found the scoring column Tuesday, as the Buccaneers cruised past South Carolina State, 6-1. With the victory, ETSU moved to 5-0 on the season, the best start in program history.

Junior midfielder Sarah Zadrazil (St. Gilgen, Austria) led the way for the Buccaneers (5-0), scoring once and dishing out four assists. Her four assists matched her own ETSU single-game record which she set in last season's 7-0 win at Alabama A&M.

Zadrazil set up fellow Austria native Simona Koren (Graz, Austria) for the Bucs' first goal of the match, just five minutes into regulation. Following a foul just outside the box, Zadrazil quickly took the free kick, finding an open Koren and catching the Bulldogs (1-4) off guard.

Senior Summer Peterson (Lorton, Va.) followed suit later in the half, converting a 19th-minute header off a corner kick from Jasmin Dutton (Kinmel Bay, Wales). The goal was the first career score for the Lorton, Va., native.

Dutton has emerged as a focal point of ETSU's offense this season, already dishing out seven assists in just five contests.

The Bucs continued to pull away from the Bulldogs, adding two more goals before intermission.

Scores by Zadrazil and Kendall Manning (Franklin, Tenn.) gave ETSU a 4-0 lead heading to halftime. Assiting Zadrazil's goal was freshman defender Garazi Murua (Getxo, Spain), while Zadrazil and Ellis Parsons (Cardiff, Wales) picked up assists on Manning's 39th-minute goal.

Manning's goal marked the first of her collegiate career.

Following intermission, the Bucs added a pair of goals to take a 5-0 lead over the Bulldogs, with Koren and reigning Southern Conference Women's Soccer Player of the Week Hannah Short (Bristol, England) netting goals. Zadrazil and Short assisted Koren's 60th-minute score, while Zadrazil and Koren assisted Short's 74th-minute goal.

With the goal, Short, who leads ETSU with six goals on the season, has now registered a goal in each of the Bucs' five matches.

Freshman goalkeeper Jasmine Elliott (Preston, England) was just 13 minutes from recording her second shutout of the season when SC State's Breia Pierce outran the ETSU defense following a deep goal kick to give the Bulldogs' their lone goal of the match. Elliott recorded three saves in the win, her fifth victory of the season.

Overall, ETSU outshot SC St., 31-12.

Senior Andie Stone (Austin, Texas) and freshman Alba Llaras (Molerussa, Spain) made their season debuts for the Bucs in the victory.

QUOTES FROM COACH SAYERS

• "We are very happy with the performance and result tonight. SC State started strongly, and immediately got themselves into a shooting position, but we responded well and scored early."

• "The first goal was a brilliant piece of improvisation by Sarah [Zadrazil] to take the free kick quickly and short to Simona [Koren], who finished well."

• "We were dominating possession well, and getting the early goal gave us the platform to continue to press forward, and we created some good chances. Summer [Peterson]'s strong header gave us the two goal cushion, and Sarah and Kendall [Manning] both finished well."

• "We had a good lead at halftime, and continued to play well in the second half. The fluidity and quick interplay in attack was excellent, and Simona's second goal, along with Hannah [Short]'s, were the result of some very attractive, effective quick combination play. Very good goals."

• "There were several good individual performances tonight. The team have done very well so far this season, and displayed many positive attributes, both collectively and individually. However, we have some big challenges agead, that we are very much looking forward to, but must also ensure we are prepared for."

LOOKING AHEAD

ETSU will look to continue its program-best start to the season when it hosts Alabama A&M Thursday, Sept. 4 at 7:00 p.m., to conclude the Bucs' four match home stand.

LIVE STATS | VIDEO - Thursday, Sept. 4 at 7:00 p.m.

Last season, ETSU defeated Alabama A&M, 7-0, in Huntsville, Ala.

The Bucs are 4-0 inside Summers-Taylor Stadium this season, and are 23-6-2 (.774) at home during Adam Sayers' tenure as head coach.

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