HICKORY, N.C. – 12th-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne netted three first-half goals and was relentless with its offensive pressure in a 5-0 win over Newberry Saturday night at Bears Field.
 
The Bears (10-1, 5-1 South Atlantic Conference) scored early and often, opening their account with a goal just 93 seconds into the contest by Neve Duston. The freshman midfielder faked around a defender and fired a shot from just outside the 18-yard box that found the corner of the net past a diving Jayleen Gant to put the Bears ahead early.
 
Aqsa Mushtaq added to the Lenoir-Rhyne lead in the 13th minute, dribbling through several defenders and slicing the ball through to the back of the net to double the lead.
 
Mushtaq scored again 24 minutes later, making her the league's scoring leader with nine goals on the season. Lenoir-Rhyne continued to pepper the Wolves (3-4-3, 1-4-1 SAC) with 27 total shots that forced goalkeeper Jayleen Gant to make 11 saves. Newberry placed one of its two shots on goal.
 
Duston would go on to record a hat trick, again finding the back of the net in the 86th and 88th minutes, to give the Bears their final margin.
 
Lenoir-Rhyne, which is ranked second in the Southeast Region in addition to its No. 12 national ranking, rebounded from its only loss of the season, a 1-0 defeat on the road at Lincoln Memorial last Saturday afternoon.
 
The Wolves return to action Wednesday evening with a trip to SAC foe Coker. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m.