Joy Pianka Scores Three Goals in 87-Second Stretch As Berry Dominates

Berry scored six first-half goals, including three from freshman midfielder Joy Pianka, and cruised to a 7-0 victory over North Carolina Wesleyan Saturday at the Methodist University Fall Invitational in Fayetteville, N.C.

Berry (3-1) dominated possession of the ball so much that after North Carolina Wesleyan's Kasi Edwards' shot sailed wide on the first attempt by either team in the match, it did not allow the Battling Bishops (0-7) to even attempt a shot over the final 86:44.

The Vikings outshot North Carolina Wesleyan 28-1 overall.  Seventeen of Berry's shots came in the first 45 minutes, and the Vikings fired 20 shots on goal during the match.

Pianka needed less time than it takes to microwave a frozen burrito to record her hat trick, using an 87-second scoring spree to put the game away for Berry less than 20 minutes into play.

Her first goal came 17:32 into the contest, when she finished off a rebound and an assist from Leah Hatheway. 

Pianka found the net again 18:21 into the match when she fired the past North Carolina Wesleyan goalkeeper Johanna Wallinder from 25 yards out.

Hatheway assisted Pianka's third consecutive goal just 38 seconds after the second score, sending a crossing pass to Pianka from the left side, which Pianka finished off to put the Lady Vikings ahead 3-0.

Hatheway, who had scored all four of Berry's goals this season before Pianka got into the act Sunday, ran her personal goal scoring streak to three consecutive matches when she received a pass from Ally Byrd and then slipped the ball past Wallinder into the net in a 1-on-1 situation.

Pianka would figure into the fifth Berry goal of the first half, assisting on a goal by Sheena MacGowan in the 35th minute.

Four minutes later, MacGowan sent a crossing pass from the right side of the field to Katie O'Brien, wo insterted the ball into the upper left corner of the goal to give the Vikings a 6-0 lead.

That score would hold until the 85th minute, when Molly Johnson scored on an assist from Kristen Brooks, who sent a cross from the right side to Johnson.  Johnson one-timed the Brooks pass into the net.

Berry is scheduled to return to action this Wednesday, when it hosts Agnes Scott at 5 p.m., at Ford Field.

- BerryVikings.com -