By Stan Caldwell
stanmansportsfan.com
 
HATTIESBURG – If William Carey University is to make a run at a third consecutive trip to the NAIA National Women's Soccer Tournament championship game, the Lady Crusaders will want to see a lot more of what they saw Saturday.
 
Carey came out of the chute smoking-hot and never let up against Bethel (Tenn.), rolling to 7-0 rout in a non0conference match at Danny Owens Field.
 
The Lady Crusaders, No. 3 in this week's NAIA rankings, improved to 4-1 overall; Bethel lost for the first time after four wins to open the season.
 
"We really just wanted to play our game, and do what we've to do to keep getting better," said Carey head coach Danny Owens. "We had kind of a tough weekend last week, and we wanted to come out here and relax a little bit.
 
"So the plan this week was to play a full 90 minutes and play our style for the whole game, and I thought the girls did just that."
 
After a brief feeling-out period, Carey began to unleash its potent offensive attack.
 
Just eight minutes into the game, senior Camila Pescatore fired a rocket shot from 30 yards out that curled into the net over the head of Lady Wildcat goalkeeper Alicia Perez. Junior Fernanda Nieto was credited with the assist on the goal, which came at the 7:58 mark.
 
"It took me three years to score that goal," said Pescatore, whose goal was the first of her career. "Every time I've had that shot, it never goes in, but coach tells me every single week to keep trying that shot, and thankfully, it went in.
 
"A goal gets the team going, so it's important to score early, so we can set the tempo for the game."
 
Pescatore, who is listed as a defender, was all over the field in her 52 minutes of action, playing on the back line some of the time and directing the offense at others.
 
"Honestly, I just like to run, and help the team any way I can," said Pescatore. "Obviously, my position is outside back, but my coaches don't restrict me from going forward and being creative."
 
Just four minutes later senior Julia Herbst scored the first of her three goals for the game, ramming home a point-blank shot from just 8 yards out on a pass from junior Maria Azarias.
 
"We are really an offensive team," said Herbst. "We always want to be going forward and attacking the goal."
 
Carey made it 3-0 at the 26:23 mark when junior Kauany Sousa on a shot from 15 yards out to the right of the goal. Again, it was Azarias who had the assist, one of three for the newcomer from Brazil.
 
The Lady Crusaders applied a knockout blow just 47 seconds before halftime when sophomore Lauren Jones headed in a point-blank shot on a free kick off the foot of senior Laia Sedo.
 
The fact that four players scored for WCU was a point of emphasis for Owens, who also liked the persistence of an offense that peppered the Bethel goal with 27 shots, 14 on goal.
 
"It's something we've been doing the last couple of years," said Owens. "It's really important to have multiple girls scoring goals, and being included in the attack.
 
 
"We don't care where the goals come from. We talk to the girls a lot about being unselfish, and getting everyone involved."
 
As good as the Lady Crusaders were on offense, they may have been better on the defensive end of the field, allowing just eight shots and only four on goal.
 
"I just knew we didn't want to let any goals in," said Romines. "We tried to be really strong in the back, and I thought everyone did their jobs. In my position, I can be very vocal and get players in the right position.
 
"It's early in the season, so we're still growing as a team, and I thought today we really took a big step."
 
Romines, who transferred to Carey this season from Tyler (Texas) Junior College, is ne of several key newcomers who are starting to mesh with a solid corps of returning players.
 
"There's really a good mix of us, and everyone has something to bring to the team," said Romines. "It's a cool style and I think it works for us."
 
Romines teamed with seniors Natasha Povey, Kaylie Agostine and Alexis Arnoult, with occasional help from Pescatore, to put up a nearly impenetrable wall that kept the Lady Wildcats from any serious scoring threats.
 
"I think every game, those girls are getting more comfortable," Owens said. "They're getting used to each other. It takes a little time for it to gel, and I thought tonight's performance was the best they've played so far."
 
Carey came out of halftime with just as much momentum as the first half.
 
Less than three minutes into the period, sophomore Mariangela Jimenez and Herbst hooked up for another score. Herbst completed the hat trick on a corner kick from Azarias at the 50:57 mark.
 
"Coach told us that they were going to come out strong in the second half and that we had to keep playing hard," said Herbst.
 
That was the end of the game for most of the Carey starters, as Owens substituted liberally, giving his backups some extended playing time.
 
"You never know when your numbers going to be called," said Owens. "We tell them they've always got to be ready. So it was good to get those girls minutes, because you never know what's going to happen."
 
After coming up short in the national finals the past two seasons, the Lady Crusaders are looking to finish the deal and add another national title to the one they brought home in 2018.
 
"We always keep a good team," said Herbst. "I think we're starting to get like a family, and that's good for us, because that's how we're going to win this year."
 
Carey will get a chance to avenge both of those overtime defeats next week when the Lady Crusaders travel to Foley, Alabama for a pair of games.
 
On Thursday, the Lady Crusaders take on Tennessee Southern, which won an overtime shootout after a 3-3 tie in regulation and overtime last season. On Saturday, Carey takes on Keiser (Fla.) University, which won the title in extra time the previous season.