The UTM soccer team played host Wednesday to the Bruins of Belmont. Belmont has been a regular opponent for the Skyhawks, with the game being the sixth regular season meeting between the two teams.

The Bruins led the all-time series 4-1-0 coming into Wednesday’s game.

Wednesday, though, it was the Skyhawks that came out victorious, with a commanding win over the Bruins.

Seven different players from the Skyhawks combined to score eight goals in the game, and the defense proved to be tough, shutting out the Bruin offensive attack and providing UTM with an 8-0 victory over a seasoned opponent.

Annie Cook, a freshman midfielder from Wichita, Kan., said, “Today’s game showed that we can play both defense and offense well for an entire game. The eight goals and the shutout prove that.”

The Skyhawks dominated the game from the beginning, playing an incredibly controlled game that proved to be more than Belmont could match.

Perhaps more importantly, though, the Skyhawks proved that they could get and maintain possession of the ball, cutting the Bruin defense apart with sharp passes and timely runs.

The defense also played extremely well, barely allowing Belmont to control the ball for more than a minute or two at a time. The combined defensive unit permitted very few runs at their goal, allowing a minimal six shots, which the Skyhawk goalkeeper handled with ease.

“We played extremely well as a team today,” said Amy King, a junior from Germantown. “It was a great win for us, because we proved that we have the ability to dominate a game from start to finish. We play together as a team, and feel that we have the talent and ability to go into any game, no matter who it is, and come out with a win.”

Sophomore Dani Myrick from Midwest City, Okla., scored the first goal of the game. Seconds later, Katie Jackson, a sophomore from Franklin, pounded in another goal that gave the Skyhawks a commanding lead over the Bruins.

Jennifer Ermey, Tabitha Fishburn, Kindal Keim, Angela Fiddler and Christina Moore also contributed a goal each to round off the win for the Skyhawks.

The victory improved the Skyhawks’ record to 4-2-1, with the two losses coming at the hands of Stephen F. Austin and Southeastern Lousiana, and a tie with Southwest Missouri State.

The Skyhawks hope to carry this momentum into their next game against Indiana Purdue-Fort Wayne, which will be at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21, on the Skyhawk soccer field.

Their next three games will be played away, beginning at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3, at Jacksonville State, 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5, at Samford and 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8, at Memphis.