McFarland Makes History As Hawks Handle Business Against Wesleyan

MONTGOMERY, Ala.- In their final appearance at the Samford Soccer Complex for the 2024 season, Huntingdon women's soccer(4-8-2 overall, 2-5-1 CCS) scored five goals en route to a shutout victory over the Wolves of Wesleyan College(0-9 overall, 0-5 CCS).

With her hat trick tonight, Shaylinn McFarland has surpassed the single season goals record for Huntingdon women's soccer in the NCAA era, putting 14 shots through the in her debut season for the Hawks. 

"Shaylinn has come into this program and made an immediate impact," shared interim head coach Katie Williams. "This record is just one example of her hard work and dedication on the field. I am proud of what she has accomplished so far, and I'm excited to see how she continues to grow as a player in the years to come."

How it happened

The first of Huntingdon's five goals came inside the first five minutes of the match, with Keabetsoe Walker tapping one in to give the Hawks an early 1-0 advantage. Shaylinn McFarland followed Walker with the first of her three goals of the night at the 16 minute mark to extend the lead to 2-0.

Over the course of the next 15 minutes, both defenses ramped up their effort as neither squad found their way on the scoreboard. McFarland ended the brief drought with a goal at the 33 minute mark to extend the Hawks lead to 5-0. To close the half, Laney Bishop found Shea Eichelberger on a corner kick, which Eichelberger headed in to give the Hawks a 4-0 halftime lead.

Throughout the second half, Huntingdon's offense took a step back, but their defensive intensity remained high, as goalkeepers Libby Williams and Madelon Machen anchored the goal to keep the Wolves from scoring. McFarland earned her first career hat trick with a goal at the 50:48 mark to put a stamp on Huntingdon's 5-0 conference victory.

The Hawks travel to face Millsaps College on October 25th to close out the regular season. Gametime is set for 4:00 PM CT.