The Malone University women's soccer team picked up a convincing 5-1 win at home on Thursday afternoon in its Great Midwest Athletic Conference match-up with Ohio Valley University.

The Fighting Scots struck first during Thursday's game, taking the early lead after scoring in the ninth minute of play.  However, it was all Pioneers from that point forward.

Forward Christine Najjar netted her second hat trick of the season in the contest to push her 2016 total for goals scored to 12 and her career total to 36. The senior from Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, who currently ranks fourth on the Pioneers' all-time goals scored list, has netted a total of eight goals in Malone's last four contests, having scored three times in a win over Salem International University on October 3rd and twice in a triumph over Kentucky Wesleyan College on October 6th.

Junior defender Kaela Kovanda also had a big afternoon, racking up four assists.  Kovanda joined elite company with her assist total as she is just the fourth player in Pioneer women's soccer history to tally four or more assists in a single game.   Ali Mueller holds the Malone single-game record with five assists in a win over Ohio Valley in 2004.  Julie Herbst notched four assists in that same game against the Fighting Scots in 2004.  Sarah Ogle was the other Pioneer who reached the four-assist milestone as she accomplished the feat in a win over Shepherd University in 2002.

Malone's first two goals on Thursday were nearly mirror images of one another as both scores came on crosses from Kovanda that were headed into the net by Najjar.

Najjar tied the game with her first goal in the 19th minute and then put the Pioneers in front with her second goal just over 10 minutes later.

Senior midfielder Brianna Smith made it 3-1 in the opening minute of the second half as she collected the ball and launched a long shot that rocketed over the goal keeper's head.  The tally was Smith's fifth of the season and 26th of her career, moving her up to 8th on Malone's all-time list.

Najjar completed her hat trick in the 56th minute of play.  Darby Burch started things off with a cross.  Kovanda then headed the ball to Najjar who finished the play to retake her position as the Great Midwest Athletic Conference's leader in goals scored this season.

Freshman Melissa Soltisz concluded the scoring in the 71st minute as she controlled a long pass from Kovanda and then fired a shot past the OVU keeper.

In all, Malone owned a 14-9 advantage in total shots and a 9-5 edge in shots on goal.

Goalkeeper Haleigh Seman went the distance in front of the net, tallying a total of four saves.

The Pioneers return to G-MAC play at home on Saturday with a 3:30 p.m. contest against Cedarville University.  Malone will honor its three seniors (Najjar, Smith and Mikayla Neville) during halftime of Saturday's contest.