MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Six different players scored goals as the 16^th-ranked University of Memphis women’s soccer squad topped Charlotte 6-2 on Sunday at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex. With the victory, the Lady Tigers move to 7-0-0 on the season, while the 49ers dropped to 2-4-2.

Carly Cassady recorded her first career goal in the 13^th minute. Cassady received a pass from Kelley Gravlin on the left side and fired a strike from 14 yards out past the keeper for the score. With the goal, Cassaday became the 11^th different Lady Tiger to score this season.

A penalty-kick score by Lizzy Simonin in the 36^th minute put the U of M up 2-0. Charlotte was whistled for a foul inside the penalty area after Natalia Gomez-Junco was pulled down from behind. Simonin stepped up for the penalty kick and beat the keeper to the lower left portion of the net. It was Simonin’s second goal in as many games and her second consecutive game with a penalty kick goal.

Gomez-Junco joined the fray in scoring with a goal in the 37^th minute. Gomez-Junco dribbled across the box and beat the keeper to her right on a strike from the top of the box. Memphis took a 3-0 lead nto the lockeroom at half, the first time the U of M had scored three or more goals in a half since scoring four goals against Alabama in 2010.

The 49ers had two different scoring opportunities in the first half, but Memphis netminder Elise Kuhar-Pitters came up with saves on each scoring threat. Charlotte midfielder Macky Wingo fired a shot from the left side, but Kuhar-Pitters dove to her left and punched the ball away. Charlotte would fire three corners in the span of a minute, but came up empty. In the 25^th minute, Lacey McGowan headed the ball toward the net, but in crowded traffic, Kuhar-Pitters made the save.

Gravlin would add Memphis’ fourth goal on the day with a 20-yard strike from the right side. Gravlin hooked the ball from right to left to the left post for her second goal on the year. With the goal, Memphis collected four goals for the first time since Sept. 10, 2010.

Melissa Smith would increase the lead with a goal in the 60^th minute setting the score at 5-0. Smith collected her second goal of the season after Christabel Oduro sent a through ball inside the box to Smith. Smith beat the keeper from the right side to the left post for the score.

Oduro got in on the goal scoring action with her team-leading fourth goal on the season in the 67^th minute to give Memphis a 6-0 lead. Oduro played the ball on the right side, about five yards away from the end line and beat the defender before striking a shot to the left post.

Charlotte got on the scoreboard in the 70^th minute as Wingo would strike from the right side of the box to the left post for the goal. A penalty-kick goal by Oni Bernard would set the score at 6-2 in the 77^th minute.

Memphis scored six goals for the first time since a 6-0 victory at UALR on Sept. 5, 2010. The current seven-game win streak ties the 2007 squad for the longest winning streak in program history. The 7-0 start to the season is the best in program history. With today’s six goal output, seven Lady Tigers have tallied multiple goals on the season. With the win over Charlotte, Memphis has claimed the last two meetings in the series by a combined score 11-3. The U of M improves to 19-2-1 on Sundays since the 2009 season and has outscored opponents 53-11 in that span.

The Lady Tigers close non-conference play on Thursday at Vanderbilt. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. in Nashville, Tenn. 

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