FLORENCE, Ala. – The Eastern Kentucky University women's soccer team scored four first half goals from four different student-athletes en route to a 4-1 victory over North Alabama on Sunday afternoon at the Florence Sportsplex.
 
EKU's four first half goals were the most in the program's 20-year history.
 
Peyton Smith, Ana Manning, Caroline McLellan, and Carmen Combs all found the back of the net in the win. Combs, McLellan, and Smith all scored for the first time in their collegiate careers.
 
Sophomore winger Paula Herranz recorded a career-best two assists in Sunday's win.  Her two assists mark the 15th time in program history a single student-athlete has totaled two assists in a single match.  The Madrid, Spain native is now up to seven points on the season, the third most on the squad.
 
With Sunday's result, EKU improves to 7-6-1 on the season and 4-2 in Atlantic Sun Conference play.  The Colonels now have 12 points in ASUN action and will enter next week's slate of fixtures as the No. 3 team in the tables.
 
North Alabama falls to 3-9 on the season and 1-5 in league play.  EKU's four-goal performance ties the single game high in the Matt Cosinuke era, the team's most goals scored since 2021.
 
EKU jumped out to a fast start on Sunday scoring in the fifth minute as Smith caught a pass from Herranz and found the back of the netting.  The Colonels would pad their lead to two just four minutes later as the program's leading scorer, Manning, caught two one-touch passes from Grode and Herranz and went top center over the keeper.
 
EKU's two goals in the first nine minutes was the quickest start with two goals in the under Cosinuke's guidance.
 
The Colonels would add another goal to their lead in the 31st as McLellan caught a pass from Lauren Link that ended in the lower left of the net.
 
Just eight minutes later, Combs extended EKU's lead to 4-0 after catching a pass from EKU's all-time leading assister, Gretta Gunn, and found the lower left of the net off her right boot.  Gunn now has a program leading 14 assists throughout her career in Richmond.
 
EKU's Ruby Morgan entered in goal in the 55th minute, replacing the starting keeper Marah Krick.  Both keepers combined for four saves in the win, led by Morgan's three.
 
UNA would get on the scoreboard in the 74th minute off a solo attempt by Adelyn Speight, cutting the deficit to three goals.
 
Despite the added pressure, which saw the Lions out-shoot the Colonels 13-2 in the second half, EKU held on for the 4-1 victory in the final 16 minutes of play.
 
EKU returns to action on Thursday at 4 p.m. EST at home against the ASUN's newest member, West Georgia.  The match will be streamed live on ESPN+ for those unable to be in attendance.