Box Score
 
PHILADELPHIA– Erin Mikolai scored two goals, leading Penn to a 4-0 victory over the NJIT women's soccer team Sunday afternoon.
 
The loss dropped the Highlanders to 2-8 overall, while Penn improved to 6-4.
 
The Highlanders got into trouble by allowing two goals in the first 12 minutes of the match.
 
Kathryn Barth got the Quakers on the board, knocking in a goal coming off a throw-in from Jazmyne Simmons in the fourth minute.
 
In the 12^th minute, Mikolai gave the Quakers a 2-0 lead, when she took a fine crossing pass and touched it past NJIT freshman goalkeeper Samantha Bersett with a header.
 
It made the rest of the afternoon very tough for the Highlanders, falling behind by two goals early.
 
“To be honest, we gave up soft goals,” NJIT head coach Sergio Gonzalez said. “When you're playing a good team and you give up soft goals, it's not a recipe for success. I thought we had the better of the play at the end of the first half, but couldn't get anything from it. Again, when we give away goals early, it's really tough to come back. They're a little bit more experienced than us and a little deeper and that was the key.”
 
Kaitlyn Moore scored in the 77^th minute, also on a header, off a corner kick from Brianna Rano and Mikolai capped the scoring with her second goal of the game in the 82^nd minute with a shot from the 17-yard line.
 
“The final score doesn't reflect the effort,” Gonzalez said.
 
The Highlanders were outshot, 22-6. Sarah Banks made two saves to earn the shutout for the Quakers.
 
Bersett made six saves in goal for the Highlanders, who now head to Utah for Friday night's first Great West Conference contest against defending GWC champion Utah Valley.
 
“When I put this schedule together, I knew that this last stretch (games at Dartmouth, Lafayette and Penn) were going to be the toughest part of the season. We're working hard. We're at a much better place than we were last year. The second season begins Friday and I'm excited about where we're going. We're going to take care of business. I'm not concerned with losing, because I know we're coming out of it pretty well. We're ready for the Great West part of the schedule.”
 
Write up courtesy James Hague