BENNINGTON, Vt. – Clinching a spot in the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) playoffs in the process, the Southern Vermont College women's soccer team defeated Wheelock College 8-0 at Everett Field Monday afternoon.

The Mountaineers took to the scoreboard on their first offensive possession after gaining a corner kick in the early going. Junior Abigail Rosas (Manteca, Calif.) sent the dead ball to the top of the box where freshman Mazie Holton (Arlington, Vt.) was waiting to head home her first collegiate goal.

Wheelock started to get its offensive strategy clicking five minutes in, working the ball over the top from the midfield. Freshman Alison DeGloria (Chelmsford, Mass.) was able to get in behind the Mountaineer defense and into the box, but put her shot from 10 yards away right at SVC sophomore keeper Katie Raymond (Bristol, Conn.).

The 1-0 score stood until the 38th minute when the combination of senior Kaitlyn Forant  (Hardwick, Vt.) and freshman Melodie Orrell (Gloucester, Mass.) hooked up for two quick scores. Forant recorded her fourth assist when she played a cross from the right side of the box to an oncoming Orrell who headed home her fourth of the year. Orrell then played a midfield ball to Forant through the Wildcat defensive line where she collected and took the ball through 30 yards of open space before putting one on frame past WC freshman goalie Meghan Lewis (South Berwick, Maine) for her sixth tally of the season just over a minute later.

Sophomore Bridget Kelly (Lebanon, Conn.) notched her first of the season on a shot from 20 yards out with less than two minutes to go to put SVC ahead comfortably 4-0 going into the break.

The Mountaineers would add four more in the second stanza including two more by Orrell for her second hat-trick of the season. Forant added another late in the game following the first collegiate goal by senior Lindsay Pilling (North Adams, Mass.) in the 76th minute on a pass from Rosas, her second helper of the day.

Raymond made two saves in the win (5-6-1) while Holton played in net for the second half to split the shutout effort. Lewis turned away four Mountaineer shots in the match (0-6).

Southern Vermont (6-6-1, 5-2 NECC) turns to its Wednesday NECC contest at Bay Path College slated to start at 3:30 p.m. Wheelock (1-12, 1-6) next faces Mitchell College at home on Wednesday at 3 p.m.