MONROE, La. – The ULM women's soccer team (1-0) dominated the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions (0-1) 9-0 Thursday night, starting the 2024 season off with a bang. With goals from Sara Navarro, Mara Grutkamp, Kai Douglas, Skylar Blaise, Giulia Franco, Ally Richardson and Jaden Masters, the 2024 season opener ranks first in program history for goals in a single game.
 
The first half started out strong for the Warhawks, as they outshot the Golden Lions 23-0, 10-0 on goal. Arkansas Pine-Bluff goalkeeper Makaila Riedel racked up seven saves in the first half.
 
A goal kick by Riedel in the tenth minute set up the Warhawks for their first scoring opportunity. In the eleventh minute of the match, Sara Navarro logged her first goal of the season, assisted by Vanessa Praher. This was Navarro's second career goal and Praher's second career assist.
 
Just five minutes after her first goal of the match, Navarro hit the back of the net yet again, for her third career goal and second of the match. She became the fifth Warhawk on the 2024 roster to log a multi-goal game in their career. She was assisted by senior Skylar Blaise, who claimed her fourth career assist and first of the season.
 
A foul on the Golden Lions' Ashley McGuire led to a free kick by Bernadett Stefan in the 38^th minute set up the third goal of the first half. After a throw in by Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Giulia Franco passed to senior Mara Grutkamp, who put the Warhawks up 3-0. This was Grutkamp's 13^th career goal and her first of the season. This was Franco's first assist as a Warhawk. 
 
In the second half, ULM came out swinging. Riedel was racking up saves as the Warhawks continued to fire. In the 50^thminute, Kai Douglas made her mark with a goal in her Warhawk debut to make it 4-0. The assist came from Blaise, her fourth career assist.
 
Just five minutes later, a throw in by the Golden Lions set up a goal for 2023 leading scorer Blaise. This was her fifth career goal, adding the fifth Warhawk goal to the scoreboard. The assist was made by Stefan and Franco, Stefan's third career assist and Franco's second assist of the night.
 
After a close save by the Golden Lions' goalkeeper in the 60^th minute, Franco took her turn at the net, scoring her first career goal, adding to her tally with two assists for the night. In the 66^th minute, Ally Richardson became the sixth Warhawk of the night to score, and the third to score their first career goal. 
 
Houston transfer Jaden Masters got in on the scoring action in the 83^rd minute, the assist coming from junior Sophia Youngman. This was Masters' second career goal and her first as a ULM Warhawk. Youngman's assist was her third in her ULM career.
 
Less than two minutes later, Grutkamp put an exclamation point on an extraordinary match, scoring her second goal of the match and 14^th for her career. This goal put the midfielder in sole possession of ninth place all-time in program history.
 
In this match, the Warhawks broke the top 10 in almost every single-game record (points, goals, goals in the first half, goals in the second half, assists and shots) all-time.
 
Coming up next, the Warhawks will travel to Baton Rouge, La. to face off against the Southern University Jaguars for a Sunday morning matchup at 10:30 a.m.