Madison King-Thurber and Bella D'Anza scored their first career goals and Erin O'Brien scored the game-winning goal, as the St. Lawrence University women's soccer team won their first match of the 2022-23 season, 3-1, over Hartwick College on Thursday afternoon at Elmore Field.

The Saints improved to 1-0-0, while the Hawks fell to 0-1-0.

"I'm really proud of this group and how much they trusted one another throughout the course of this game," said head coach Sinead McSharry "They played with a lot of joy and resilience and that was evident in how they responded to Hartwick's goal."

The tie game was finally broken up at the 31:02 mark of the first half off a corner kick for the Scarlet and Brown. With the Saints applying heavy pressure, Britney Burns' centering cross was deflected out giving defender Jenna Durkin a corner kick. The sophomore launched a perfect ball into the crease and onto the head of first-year King-Thurber, who deflected the ball past the outstretched arms of Sara Staup and into the upper corner for the first goal of her St. Lawrence career.

Just minutes later, the Scarlet and Brown doubled their lead when a clearing attempt from the Hartwick defense landed on the foot of Grace Bridge. It was Bridge's turn on defense to be a playmaker, as the junior laid the ball back into the offensive zone to Hope Donoghue, who settled the ball off her chest and to her right. The ball fell to O'Brien, who raced past three Hawks defenders and laced a left-footed shot past the keeper to make it a 2-0 game for the Saints.

In the second half, the lead was nearly tripled when a centering pass from O'Brien was contested by the Hartwick goalkeeper and Natalie Schock. Schock was able to get a shot on the keeper-less frame, but a Hawks' defender blocked the effort to keep the game at 2-0. Later in the half, Donoghue also had an A-plus bid as a perfect Maille McMahon pass left Donoghue one-on-one with the keeper. The forward beat Staup with a right-footed strike, but rung it off the crossbar to keep the score as is.

Hartwick ended up cutting the lead in half at 66:50 when Hannah Bochniak made a run down the right side of the field and crossed a ball into Myah Johnston, who fired the ball home to make it a 2-1 contest.

Moments later, the Scarlet and Brown took the two-goal lead right back off the foot of another first-year. Kaitlyn Barton started the play causing a Hawks' turnover in dangerous territory. Emma Casey scooped up the ball, and eventually sent a cross into D'Anza, who was patrolling the box. D'Anza one-touched the ball with her right foot over the keeper's head for her first goal in Scarlet and Brown giving St. Lawrence the 3-1 lead.

Keely Snode finished with two saves in the win for the Saints, while Staup stopped two shots in the loss.

St. Lawrence held the 9-5 advantage in shots and held a 5-3 edge in shots on goal. The Saints dominated Hartwick with the 6-0 advantage in corner kicks.

The Scarlet and Brown will head back to Canton to prepare for the North Country Classic. On Saturday, September 3rd, the Saints will take on Colby-Sawyer at noon, then on Sunday host SUNY Potsdam.