The Royals broke open an otherwise close first half with two goals just before the break.  In the 39th minute,  (Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg) set up fellow freshman  (Glenwood Springs, Colo./Glenwood Springs) at the top of the box, and Martin bent a shot into the upper left. One minute later, the women struck again. This time  (Martinsville, Va./Carlisle) received a pass at the top of the box, moved around a GC defender and launched a shot into the goal.

Despite being out-shot 8-6 in the half, the sudden 2-0 lead for the Royals gave them a boost for the second half. Keeper  (Spotsylvania, Va./Spotsylvania) then gave them an even bigger shot in the arm less than three minutes into the second.

After a foul in the box on a breakaway, Guilford was awarded a penalty kick.  Stanard read the kick and made a diving stop to knock it away, then quickly got back to her feet and swatted away the rebounded attempt for a second save.

With Stanard keeping the Quakers off the board, senior  (Springfield, Va./West Springfield) made the lead bigger with a breakaway goal in the 71st minute, pushing it to 3-0. Guilford finally got a goal on a rebound in the 80th minute. The Quakers got one more shot in the final minute, but that was it in EMU’s 3-1 win.

The Royals ended up being out-shot 15-10, although shots on goal were even at 6-6.  Osei had a team high four attempts including three on goal. Stanard charted five saves in goal.

Eastern Mennonite is now 6-7-1 overall including 4-4 in the ODAC.

After scoring just one goal over their first three games of the season, the Royals’ explosion of scores  was not just a welcome relief for the players, but a sign of the jelling talent on the young team.

The visiting Blazers actually scored first in the game, which was started in a drizzle, when they scored in the eighth minute.  But freshman  (Glenwood Springs, Colo./Glenwood Springs) put EMU on the board with their first shot of the night in the 16th minute. Martin drove up the right side of the field, and her tough shot deflected off a Hood defender and into the goal.

 (Springfield, Va./West Springfield), an All-ODAC Second Team forward last fall, got her first goal of the season by knocking in a header off a Hill corner in the 34th minute.

Action really picked up in the second half, as Hood equalized in the 51st minute and then re-took the lead 12 minutes later.  But Hill and Osei hooked up once again on a corner with just over 10 minutes left in regulation, knotting the score at 3-3.

The Blazers had some surges in overtime, but freshman  (Millsboro, Del./Delmana Christian) set up Hill’s clinching PK when she made a move up the right side and got taken down in the box. Hill finished with a career best four points, notching the one goal with two assists.

Shots were evenly distributed in the contest, with Hood holding a slight 15-12 advantage.  The visitors also had a 6-5 edge in shots on goal.  (Gig Harbor Wash./Peninsula) made three saves for EMU.

The Royals look to defend their home turf once again on Wednesday when they host Marymount University. Game time is 7 p.m.