The Valdosta State soccer team put together an impressive offensive display in its 2017 season opener, resulting in a comfortable 6-0 win against the Albany State Golden Rams on Friday night in Albany.

“This is a great start for us and a reward for the hard work these girls have put in during our preseason,” coach Stephen Andrew said after his first VSU victory. “The early goal got us off to a great start, and we played well the rest of the way to get the result we thought we deserved tonight.”

Forward Jordan Humbert wasted no time setting the tone for the match, as the senior took advantage of an assist from newcomer Phoebe Palmer to connect within the first two minutes and give Valdosta State an early lead. The Blazer defense held the Golden Rams in check from that moment on, allowing the Blazers to mount a relentless attack throughout the rest of the contest.

Ashley Lewis gave the Blazers some cushion in the 30th minute after converting a Lexie Hall pass into a goal for a 2-0 lead prior to halftime. The goal gave VSU a 2-0 advantage and marked Lewis’ first as a Blazer and the sixth of the sophomore’s young collegiate career.

In the second half, Valdosta State put the game out of reach with a quick goal from Taylor Snell, followed up less than 10 minutes later by two consecutive strikes from Riley Tennant. The pair of goals by Tennant came within a two-minute window near the 55th minute of the match, and Caitlyn Dawkins put the exclamation point on the contest with a goal of her own in the 85th minute.

“We put a lot of focus during preseason on trying to create and score goals,” Andrew added. “For us to come out tonight and score six, and for us to just miss on several other chances, is exciting. As a coaching staff, we’re also pleased with how well our younger players are playing right now. We understand that when we get into conference play, we’ll need to step things up a little bit, but it’s just good to get that first win under your belt.”

The victory set the stage for Sunday’s home opener, set for a 5 p.m. start against visiting Clayton State. The match will take place at the VSU Soccer Complex. Live coverage can be found at www.vstateblazers.com.