BLUEFIELD, Va. – A four-goal second half from the Bluefield College women's soccer team lifted the squad to a 5-1 win over former conference opponent University of the Cumberlands on Saturday afternoon at the East River Soccer Complex.
 
The five goals from BC is a season high and helps the team improve to 2-8-2. Meanwhile, Cumberlands drops to 0-14 on the year with the defeat.
 
Bluefield got on the board first thanks to an own goal, as a headed ball from a UC defender bounded over keeper Autumn Williams' head in the 11^th minute of play.
 
The own goal proved to be the only goal of the half, despite the teams combining for 12 shots in the half—Cumberlands holding the 8-4 margin.
 
The Patriots wasted little time in leveling the game in the second half though, as Amerah Dixon collected a loose ball as BC couldn't clear it and send it past keeper Amanda Brown.
 
But, it would be all Bluefield through the remainder of the game as the Lady Rams exploded for four goals.
 
Approximately a minute after the Patriots' equalizer, Tori Doyle converted a penalty kick as UC committed a foul in the box.
 
Senior Braley Freire then provided a pair of goals in the 74^th and 76^th minutes to break the Lady Rams' lead open to 4-1.
 
Freire's first score developed after Jessica Newman played a ball from beyond midfield to find her teammate. Freire broke past her defender and scored on the breakaway, beating Williams one-on-one.
 
Just a couple minutes later, Freire carried the ball on the right side, just outside the box. Finding space, the New Bedford, Mass., native sent a well-placed shot into far corner of the net for the 4-1 lead and her team-leading sixth score of the season.
 
A foul on the visitors set up BC's final goal of the afternoon, with Newman converting the free kick. Her shot from well beyond the box on the left side of the field sailed quickly past the Patriots' wall and dropped in perfectly behind Williams for her second goal of the season.
 
Cumberlands and Bluefield each fired eight shots in the second half, giving the Patriots a 16-12 lead for the night, while both squads had 10 shots on frame.
 
Brown made eight saves in goal to log the win, while Williams had six saves while letting in five goals.
 
Bluefield returns to action on Tuesday, traveling to face another former Mid-South Conference opponent, Shawnee State University. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.