KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Pikeville women's soccer team remained unbeaten on the season and perfect in the AAC with a 7-3 win at Johnson (Tenn.) University on Wednesday evening.
 
The seven-goal outburst was the most the Bears have posted since an 8-0 win over now-defunct St. Andrews University last October 19. It is also the third straight game this season the Bears have equaled or surpassed their season high for goals in a game.
 
UPike (4-0-1 overall, 2-0 in the AAC) won on a day the goals came fast and furious early. The teams combined for five scores in the first 20:13 of the contest.
 
Johnson (1-2-1, 0-1) got on the scoreboard first when Brianna Houser found the back of the net only 74 seconds into the game.
 
The Bears needed little time moving ahead. Sophomore Rebekah Christopher at the 7:00 mark off a past from junior Charlene Lofqvist to even the count.
 
In the 15^th minute, it was Lofqvist on the scoring end of a pass from junior Jayla Boyd to move the Bears in front 2-1. They would never trail again, and five minutes later, an unassisted score by sophomore Sara Ritter moved the count to 3-1.
 
Less than a minute later, however, the Royals pulled within a goal when Annabel Reiche scored on a penalty kick to make it 3-2.
 
Things settled down for a while after that, but in the 44^th minute, junior midfielder Laura Nino scored her first goal of the season to send UPike to the half on top 4-2.
 
The Bears wasted no time at all scoring again, as Christopher scored on a penalty kick in the 46^th minute to give the Bears a 5-2 edge.
 
Johnson scored what would prove to be its final goal of the day in the 76^th minute when Reiche found Lexi Hatch for the score to cut the lead to 5-3.
 
But four minutes later, Ritter scored again off another assist by Lofqvist. The final goal came in the 83 minute when Boyd scored on a penalty kick to set the score at its final.
 
Christopher's two goal performance gives her three on the season, while Ritter's pair has her with four.
 
Lofqvist, with a goal and two assists has her with four goals and five assists on the season.
 
Boyd leads the team with five goals to this point on the campaign.
 
UPike will return to Bob Amos Park on Saturday afternoon when it will host Columbia (S.C.) College. The match is scheduled for a 3 p.m. start.