THOMASVILLE — Thomas University’s women’s soccer team scored seven second-half goals en route to a 7-0 demolition of Ave Maria (Fla.) on Saturday afternoon at TU Soccer Complex in The Sun Conference (TSC) action. The Night Hawks posted their fourth shutout this season and fifth-straight win over the Gyrenes, having outscored them a combined 27-0.

Thomas (5-3-1, 2-1 TSC) improved to 8-0-1 in its last nine matches when allowing one goal or less. Ave Maria (0-6, 0-3 TSC) lost its eighth-straight match dating back to last season.

Night Hawks coach Julie Orlowski is four wins shy of 50 during her time on the Magnolia Campus and two away from 175 for her career.

Despite outshooting the Gyrenes 13-2 in the first 45 minutes, the game remained scoreless until a trio of Night Hawk goals in less than two minutes opened up the contest, starting in the 55th minute.

“When you have a game like this, you know when you get one, you’re probably going to get a bucket of goals, especially with how much energy they had to use in the first half,” Orlowski said. “We knew they couldn’t keep up that pace for a full 90 minutes. We knew when we got one, that would even give us more energy in our legs. We really made them chase us all over the field today.”

Cierra-Duncan McGriff scored her second goal in two games when she collected a deflection off Gyrene netminder Erica Larson and buried home the rebound. In the 56th minute, Linnea Roivas sent a cross to Anna Gray, whose header found the back of the net to make the score 2-0. Forty seconds later, a Rebekah Wiltshire header tickled the twine off a cross from McGriff-Duncan to put TU up a field goal.

In the 64th minute, Roivas scored from 10 yards out with an assist by Katy Hanscomb. Taylor Hults scored the first of her two goals Saturday in the 81st minute after dribbling around three defenders. Kayla Folse increased the difference to five in the 84th minute on a blast from 25 yards out that went top shelf following a pass into the center of the field from Antoinette Barnes. The goal was Folse’s second in the last two games against Ave Maria.

“I really didn’t have any options to pass, so it kind of forced me to take the shot,” Folse said. “I didn’t expect it to go in until it hit the net.”

Hults concluded the offensive onslaught in the 88th minute when she went top shelf from 17 yards away following a pass from Folse.

“I saw Kayla receive the ball, and right after that, I saw her turn,” Hults said. “I knew I was wide open, so once she crossed it in, I just ran through and one-touched it into the back of the net.”

Thomas outshot Ave Maria 26-2 in the second period and 39-4 in the match. The Night Hawks sent 20 shots on goal, compared to just two by the Gyrenes.

Olivia Taylor posted career-highs in shots (9) and shots on goal (5) in the win. Hults and Kaleigh Premo each attempted a career-high five shots. Hults put up three shots on goal, while Gray, Premo, Folse, McGriff-Duncan and Roivas each had two.

Goalkeepers Kara Houston and Sierra Robinson combined for the clean sheet for the fourth time in two seasons. Houston played the first 29:40 before giving way to Robinson, who made two saves in the final 60:20 for the win.

Larson (0-6) stopped 13 shots in 90 minutes. Orlowski’s bunch held an edge in corner kicks, 7-1.

“I think the biggest things are confidence and rhythm,” Orlowski said. “Everyone wants a chance to get into a rhythm, get some love, get the ball and get that opportunity to get in sync with their teammates.”

TU’s men took a 3-1 loss to No. 17 ranked Saint Thomas on Saturday. The Night Hawks suffered their first home loss to the Bobcats in five games and first defeat in their last four matches overall. 

A Federico Moronell header found the back of the net in the 21st minute following a cross from Chris Giraldo to give Saint Thomas (5-1, 3-0 TSC) a 1-0 lead, ending the Green and White’s shutout streak of 335:26. Thomas Greco scored from 16 yards out in the 41st minute to make the score 2-0.

A  Billy Jeffery penalty kick beat Bobcat netminder Robert Barton in the 56th minute to cut the Thomas (3-5-1, 1-1-1 TSC) deficit in half. The goal was Jeffery’s second in the last two matches in the series.

The Night Hawks, playing with a man advantage for the final 9:21 following Artur Sharapov’s second yellow card, tried to find the equalizer late, totaling four corner kicks and three shots down the stretch, but a Jon Quintana free kick in the 88th minute deflected off Thomas goalkeeper Ben Barnes’ right hand into the net for the final tally.

Greco had two shots on goal. Jeffery ended with two shots on goal. Leo Thompson recorded a game-high five shots. Barton made three saves in 90 minutes. Barnes had one stop in 90 minutes.

The Night Hawks outshot the visitors, 12-9, and held an edge in corner kicks, 7-3.