HERKIMER, N.Y. — Mt. Markham’s Kyra Piersma had five goals to lead her Mustangs past the Herkimer Magicians with a 6-1 victory on Thursday night.

With the win, Mt. Markham moves to 4-0 on the season, while Herkimer suffered its first defeat in falling to 3-1.

Credit: Scott Kinville.

The Mustangs appeared to get on the scoreboard first at twelve and a half minutes into the game, but the goal was called back due to offside. Two minutes later, Magician’s leading scorer Leah Bray booted a shot from the left side over the Mustang defense and goalkeeper Avery Dye and into the net for her 13th goal of the season and 50th of her career to give the home team a 1-0 lead.

Mt. Markham answered back three minutes later when their scoring sensation and former Coliseum Soccer teammate of Bray, Kyra Piersma, scored her first of five goals to tie the game at one. The Mustangs continued to pressure the Herkimer defense, and with 16:55 left in the half, Piersma struck again, this time it was a low shot to the right corner of the goal past Magicians goalkeeper Isabella Scalise to give her team a 2-1 lead.

Credit: Scott Kinville

Things went from bad to worse for Herkimer, as with approximately ten minutes left in the first half, Bray was involved in a collision near midfield. After picking herself up off the ground, she slowly made it to the sideline and would not return to the game.

The Mustangs took full advantage, as Piersma notched her third goal of the game with a laser of a shot from the left side with just over five minutes left in the half. That goal would conclude the scoring in the half as the visitors took a 3-1 lead into halftime.

Credit: Scott Kinville

Piersma scored her fourth goal of the game at just a minute and a half into the second half when she dribbled through the defense and put a shot into the back of the net from in close. Her fifth goal came just over seven minutes later as Scalise got part of her shot from the front, but not enough as it rolled in to make it 5-1. Chloe Neff finished the scoring with just under 26 minutes left as the Mustangs left Herkimer with a 6-1 victory.

The Magicians will remain at home for their next game as they host the Poland Tornadoes on Monday night.

Credit: Scott Kinville

Credit: Scott Kinville