GREENWOOD – The Lander women's soccer team opened its season on Thursday evening with a 3-0 win over Converse at Van Taylor Stadium.

The result marked the seventh consecutive year and thirteenth time in 14 seasons that the program has opened its schedule with a win under head coach Chris Ayer.

The Bearcats were aggressive from the start, as they fired off 12 shots while Converse could only muster one shot in the first period. The team would have several shots bounce off the crossbar. In the 12th minute, Kylee Eppl would fire the ball in the back of the net off of an assist by Emily Jermstad to give Lander the early 1-0 lead.

Coming out of the break, the Bearcats would push the tempo as they would use their passing and ball movement to set up potential scoring opportunities. In the 50th minute, Brianna Taylor would finally find the back of the net as the Bearcats would take a two-goal lead. In the 82nd minute, Katie Newton would curve the ball in the back of the net to seal the win for the Bearcats.

"It was a good way to start the season. Everybody played very well tonight, we made good passes, and it gave us great chances to score. The crowd tonight was absolutely amazing. It gave the girls life, and that's what we love about Lander University, and I hope everybody comes back," said Lander head coach Chris Ayer.

Lander will host Coker at Van Taylor Soccer Stadium on Wednesday, Sept. 11. Kickoff is slated for 5 p.m., and the match will be live-streamed on the Lander Athletics YouTube channel.

#cLawsUp | @LanderWSoccer