PALOS HEIGHTS, Ill. -- A strong outing from the University of St. Francis women's soccer team propelled the Fighting Saints to a commanding 4-0 victory over Trinity Christian College to begin Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference play on Wednesday afternoon.  USF led 1-0 at the break and jumped ahead 2-0 just five minutes into the second half courtesy of a pair of Litzy Flores goals.  Kelly Flores and Isabel Diez later added on the cherry toppers as USF improved to 4-1-1 overall.

First half
St. Francis took control in the first half with Diez and Charlene Mendoza making the goalie work early as the duo fired off a pair of quick shots on target just two minutes into the frame.  Trinity Christian (2-5, 0-1 CCAC) gained its first look in the 3rd minute, but Giselle Mata denied the attempt to keep the score locked at 0-0.  The Saints continued to put pressure on the Troll defense with a pair of shots before Mia Ocana found Litzy Flores, who netted the first goal of the match at the 21:15 mark.  With the 1-0 lead in its favor, St. Francis did not let up its attack, taking two more attempts at scoring before the end of the half.  USF's defense did not give the Trolls much to work with as the hosts were only able to produce four shots over the first 45 minutes while USF authored eight.

Second Half
The Saints remained on the offensive in starting the second period and made the most out of their first four shot attempts of the stanza, connecting for three goals out of the four opportunities.  After two offsides penalties, Litzy Flores was able to add a second goal to USF's total with an assist from Diez in the 50th minute.  Trinity Christian adjusted quickly and shot twice over the next seven minutes, but St. Francis found success again with another score on their next shot attempt at 60:03 when Kelly Flores sailed her shot passed TCC keeper Michelle Urribarri to widen the Saints' lead to 3-0.  Twenty-one minutes after the game remained at a standstill, and with the match well in hand, St. Francis added one final goal to its total in the 81st minute with Diez hitting the back of the TCC net after a mistimed Troll foul allowed USF a penalty kick attempt.

Diez led the team in taking a total of four shots in the match, while Mendoza and Kelly Flores both took three.  In goal, Mata made seven saves to move her record to 4-1-1 on the season while securing her fifth shutout of the year.

Up Next
The Saints will use the next two days to prepare for Saturday (Sept. 20) when they take on the Eagles of Judson University.  The match is slated to begin at 6 pm at Joliet Memorial Stadium.

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