PHOTO GALLERY

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – A pair of goals each from senior's Caroline Dixon and Amélia Pereira helped the Hartford women's soccer team cruise to a 5-2 victory over visiting St. Joseph's University on Sunday at Al-Marzook Field at Alumni Stadium. Hartford improves to 2-1-1 on the season, while Saint Joseph's falls to 3-1-1 overall.

Both teams put the pressure on early with Saint Joseph's getting the first on goal in the seventh minute. Leading scorer Mo Hawks as she sent a free kick from 15 yards outside the box that looked to be headed over the crossbar but curled down to a leaping Erin Quinlan who pulled it in.

Three minutes later the Hawks first look came from Dixon. Dixon connected on a free kick served in from Shealagh Begley deep in the corner, but her header attempt sailed just over the crossbar. She wouldn't rest as nearly the same play 2:30 later provided the first goal of the game in the 12th minute. This time Pereira served a free kick in from just outside the box on the opposite side where a leaping Dixon was able to head to the lower corner for her second tally of the season.

The Hawks struck again 3:21 later when senior Alex Uscilla was pulled down in the box and awarded with a penalty kick, the third time the Hawks have had a free opportunity. Dixon stepped up for the home squad and connected on her second goal of the game putting the Hawks ahead by two.

Hartford extended that lead 76 seconds later when Pereira put her first of two goals in the back of the net, this time with her working off a header. The senior striker received a cross from rookie Sidney Spremullo who was just off the end line at the corner of the box. Her cross drifted away from the end line where Pereira was able to push it just right of center off her head. The goal was the second of the season for Pereira, while Spremullo's assist was her first collegiate point.

St. Joseph's was able to put its first mark on the board in the 17th minute, taking advantage of a defensive miscue. Olivia McEachern served a long cross from right to left. As the defense let the ball through, Hawks keeper Quinlan misplayed the ball and Hawkins found herself wide open three yards off the end line, easily tapping in her third goal of the season.

The fifth goal, all within the first 28 minutes of the game, came by way of another defensive miscue as Saint Joseph's returned the favor in the 28th minute. A cross from sophomore Chanel Johnson sailed well into the box where a Saint Joseph's defender misplayed the ball off her head clearly eluding keeper Christine Neal.

Hartford took a 4-1 advantage into the halftime break, while the team finished with an even 5-5 shot tally. Quinlan recorded the only two saves in the first half, while neither team had a corner kick opportunity in the first 45 minutes. The second save for Quinlan was Saint Joseph's only other clear opportunity of putting its second goal on the board as Hawkins let a shot go through traffic, but right into the hands of a waiting Quinlan.

Coming out of the break neither team had much of an opportunity through the first 15 minutes, but not much after that Pereira recorded her second goal of the game and tying Dixon for the team lead with three goals apiece. Rookie Elise Galipo and Pereira took advantage of a two-on-two breakaway opportunity in the 61st minute. After passing back-and-forth a final pass from Galipo to Pereira allowed for a one-on-one shot with the keeper that deflected off of the right upright and into the opposite corner.

Saint Joseph's would cut into the lead in the 84th minute when Kayleigh Summers scored her first goal of the season following a battle in front of the net. Beginning with what was the third corner kick of the contest served in by Kelsey Marchesano, a multitude of shots and clearing attempts finally went in favor of the visitors as Summers was able to chip in a shot from a few yards out.

The Hawks finished the contest with a 10-9 advantage in the shots column with Quinlan recording four saves in the contest, compared to just one for her counterpart. Saint Joseph's did in the corner kick column with a 3-1 advantage.