NEWBERRY - The Newberry College women's soccer team started SAC regular season play at the Newberry Soccer Complex Wednesday and emerged victorious from its match with Mars Hill College, 3-0.

The scarlet and gray seemed to dominate from the first whistle of the game as they possessed the ball and created several goal-scoring opportunities. Newberry converted on one of those opportunities in the 42nd minute as sophomore midfielder Amberly Fowler (Taylors, S.C.) headed a corner kick from junior defender Sara Geisman (Middleburg Heights, Ohio) into the goal, giving Newberry the first half lead.

The second half started the way the first half ended as the scarlet and gray scored three minutes into the half. Senior forward Lauren Carbonell (Miami, Fla.) took a through pass from freshman midfielder Allie Johns (Lexington, S.C.), and chipped the ball over goalkeeper Becca Sellars' (Loveland, Ohio) shoulder and into the far corner for the 2-0 lead.

Newberry continued the offensive onslaught in the 79th minute as freshman midfielder Meagan Heney (Ajax, Ontario) received a diagonal through ball from Fowler and Heney followed the footsteps of Carbonell and chipped the ball over Sellars' shoulder.

The defensive line of Geisman, Elizabeth Jones (Anchorage, Alaska), Ashleigh Mayer (St. Peters, Mo.) and Megan Douglas (Bradford, England) shut down the Mars Hill scoring attack to secure the conference opening win for the scarlet and gray, which moved them into a tie for first place in the SAC with Lenoir-Rhyne.

Freshman goalkeeper Emily Rhoades (Buckley, Wash.) recorded two saves on the way to her first career shutout and improved to 2-4-0 on the season.

Newberry will try to continue its winning ways in the SAC as they travel to Catawba College on Saturday for a 7 p.m. kickoff.