HARRISONBURG, Va. -- Virginia Wesleyan College's women's soccer team continued to pick up steam heading into the final weeks of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) regular season by posting a 3-0 victory over the host Royals of Eastern Mennonite University on Tuesday.

It was the third straight win and fourth in the last five outings for the Marlins who improved to 10-4-2 overall and moved into third place in the current ODAC standings with a 7-3 record.  The victory gave Virginia Wesleyan its 13th straight season with double-figure victories, all under the guidance of head coach Jeff Bowers.

The Marlins dominated Tuesday's competition, firing 33 shots at the Royals (9-7, 4-6), while allowing just one shot.  Scoring attempts missed the mark however, until Kerry Knauss (Frederick, Md./Governor Thomas Johnson) finished off a cross from Brittany Wentzel (Etters, Pa./Lewisberry Red Land) in the 28th minute.

VWC came close to adding two more goals in the first half, but shots by Wentzel and Kristen Cherry (Raleigh, N.C./Needham B. Broughton) hit the posts.

Virginia Wesleyan did pick up two more goals in the second half, however.  Caitlyn Bishop (Virginia Beach/Princess Anne) hit from the top of the box in the 53rd minute, and Kayela Gray (Virginia Beach/Salem) scored off a cross from Sarah Nickle (Pennsville, N.J./Pennsville Memorial) in the 65th minute.

Megan Gerhart (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn)notched her 10th shutout of the season in goal for the Marlins.  Becca Borg (Gig Harbor, Wash./Peninsula) recorded eight saves for EMU in a little more than 58 minutes of play and Rachel Klainer (Leesburg/Heritage) finished with four.

Virginia Wesleyan closes the regular season with two home games beginning Saturday, Oct. 26 when the Marlins host Emory & Henry College at 1 p.m. 

--AMDG--