ELON, N.C. – Reena Wichmann and Grace Bennett got Elon University women's soccer off and running with two goals in the first 10 minutes and the Phoenix put away three more in the second half to defeat Triad rival High Point 5-1 on Sunday evening, Sept. 10, at Rudd Field.
 
Five different Phoenix scored in the game, including first-career goals from Wichmann, Rakel Jonsdottir and Laura Mitchell. Elon scored five goals at Rudd Field for the first time since winning 5-0 on Sept. 8, 2013, which was also against High Point.
 
"I'm happy for our student-athletes and staff tonight," said head coach Chris Neal. "There are so many positives to reflect on. We will enjoy the victory tonight but we will keep the bar high and by 7 a.m. tomorrow our focus will be on UNC Asheville next Thursday."
 
The Phoenix improves to 5-2-1 overall with the win and the Panthers fall to 2-6-0 on the season after the loss.
 
HIGHLIGHTS
Wichmann scored just 42 seconds into the match, the first of her career, and gave the Phoenix a 1-0 lead. She beat several High Point defenders after Amanda Lasater's throw-in and poked the ball past goalkeeper Alex Hank for the goal.
 
Less than eight minutes later, Bennett gave the Phoenix a 2-0 lead, placing her shot from 16 yards into the left corner of the net for her first goal of the season and sixth of her career.
 
The Phoenix had plenty of chances to score in the first half, outshooting the Panthers 6-5 in the period, but it remained a 2-0 lead after 45 minutes.
 
Kendall Ballotti hit a volley off a Lasater's cross and Taylor Paradoski's re-directed pass in the 63rd minute to extend Elon's lead 3-0. Exactly two minutes later, the Phoenix struck again through Jonsdottir as she finished off a Meredith Christopher corner kick in the 65th minute.
 
High Point got on the board in the 85th minute to cut into Elon's lead. Mackenzie Mullins' shot from outside the box bounced off of Phoenix goalkeeper Katelyn Fowler into the net to make the score 4-1 with just over five minutes to play.
 
Laura Mitchell put the icing on the cake just two minutes later, scoring her first-career goal in the 87th minute to seal Elon's 5-1 victory over High Point.
 
Hanna Macaulay made her fourth start of the season and played for 75 minutes to earn her third win of the season. She made five saves and improved her record to 3-0-1 overall. Fowler came in for the final 15 minutes and made two saves.
 
NOTES
- The Phoenix scored five goals in a game at home for the first time since beating High Point 5-0 on Sept. 8, 2013 at Rudd Field.
- Elon scored five goals in a match for the first time since defeating South Carolina State 5-0 on Sept. 6, 2015 in Orangeburg, S.C.
- It was the first time Elon had five different players score in a match since defeating Francis Marion 6-1 on Oct. 6, 2013.
 
UP NEXT
The Phoenix hits the road to wrap up non-conference play with trips to UNC Asheville on Thursday, Sept. 14 and Davidson on Sunday, Sept. 17.