DOVER, DE - The USC Upstate women's soccer team capped its three-game road stand with a 4-0 shutout victory over Delaware State on Sunday afternoon. Nya Bacccelli scored a season-high three goals while Marley Gerber, Caitlyn Davis, and the Spartan backline pulled off the second shutout of the season.  

Upstate began the final match of the week in blazing fashion. Baccelli got the Spartans on the board in the seventh minute of play after getting enough space from her Hornet defender and firing a shot, which ricocheted into the net. Unsatisfied with one, Baccelli scored her second goal in the 20th minute of play with a left footed shot from distance. The senior achieved the first hat trick of the season with her third goal in the 27th minute of play after her break away run up the middle set her up for a one-v-one with the Hornets' goalkeeper. Hannah Blodget capped the Spartans' first half scoring with the final goal of the first half in the 33rd minute of play. Blodget waited patiently in the box as first year transfer Alexa Martinos took space up the right side of the field. Martinos connected with Blodget to put the Spartans up 4-0 going into the halftime break. Marley Gerber made her third start of the season in the goal for Upstate and helped keep a clean sheet through the first 45 minutes.  

The Spartans continued their offensive efforts in the second half and outshot the Hornets 10-4. Martinos led Upstate's offense in the second half with two shots while Baccelli, Riley O'Bryan, Audrey Baer, Journey Hawkins, Kiley Johnson, and Savannah Noll all recorded one shot each. Catarina Dantas, Maddy DeCola, Emily Rangel, Johnson, Hawkins, and Noll remained diligent on defense, holding the Hornets to only four shots in the second half. Caitlyn Davis saw action for the first time in the 2024 season as she replaced Gerber in the net to start the second half. With no goals scored in the second half, Davis finished the game with her first combined shutout while Gerber recorded her second combined shutout.  

Game Information     
Score: USC Upstate 4; Delaware State 0  
Record: USC Upstate (2-1; 0-0 Big South) vs. Delaware St. (0-3; 0-0 NEC)    
Location: DSU Downtown | Dover, DE       

  
How It Happened    

• 7'- Nya Baccelli was able to get through the Hornets backline and fire one towards the net. Her shot was deflected into the lower right corner of the net for Upstate's first goal (1-0). 

• 20'- Morgan de Barros found Baccelli with space in the middle of the field. Baccelli was able to get space from the center back and send a left footed shot just past the Hornet's goalkeeper (2-0).  

• 27'- Baccelli scored the third goal of the game after breaking through the middle once again and getting around the goalkeeper for a tap in goal (3-0). 

• 33'- Alexa Martinos took space up the right side of the field and found Hannah Blodget waiting in the center of the 18-yard box for the shot to low center (4-0).  

• At halftime, Upstate led Delaware State in shots (15-3), shots on goal (4-0), and corner kicks (3-0). 

• 56'- Martinos, looking for one of her own, fired a shot but was just off target.  

• 67'- Caitlyn Davis helped Upstate keep Delaware State off the board in the second half as she came off her line to collect a free kick with the Hornets' offense crashing in (4-0). 

• At the end of full time, Upstate led in shots (25-7), shots on goal (6-0), and corner kicks (3-1). 

Notable    

• Today's match is the first time since 2022 that Upstate didn't allow a single shot on goal.  

• This is the second time this season a Spartan has scored multiple goals in a game. 

• Upstate's last hat trick came from Dara Russo against S.C. State (10/18/23). 

• This is the second time this season Upstate has held its opponent to less than five shots on goal (0), and allowed less than 10 shots (0).  

UP Next for the Spartans     
Upstate will return home to Spartanburg to host VMI in their home opener on Friday, Aug. 30 at 7:00 p.m.    

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