CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky. --- First-year forward Alyssa Rudy put the caps on a five-goal contest featuring Lynchburg College and Hope College, notching the deciding tally in the 64th minute in the Hornets 3-2 victory over the Flying Dutch in the first round NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Tournament. LC moves on to face host Thomas More College in the second round at 1:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.

Tournament Bracket

Lynchburg (15-2-3) put together a strong first-half on the way to a 2-0 halftime advantage. Samantha Bagherpour opened the scoring in the 14th minute with the first of two quick goals. Rachel Cooke moved inside the Hope (15-4-2) 18-yard box only to see her one-on-one effort snuffed out by keeper Mary Clare Theis. Cooke recovered the loose ball and played it laterally across the top of the box to an oncoming Bagherpour who slotted it home for a 1-0 LC lead.

Centerback Emily Maxwell made it 2-0 Hornets just 84-seconds later in rather difficult fashion. Kelley Smith sent a corner kick into the box at mid-goal, but outside the penalty spot towards the top of the box. Maxwell raised up above several players and sent her headed shot over Theis' out-stretched arms and into the back of the next.

Following the intermission, Natalie Curry quickly got one back for Hope, cleaning up a bit of a scrum in from of the Hornets' net in the 47th minute.  Much like Lynchburg in the first half, the Flying Dutch needed little time to even the score, with Erin Brophy bringing the scoreboard to 2-2 less than two minutes.

Several minutes ticked off the clock before Rudy got into the scoring act with 26:25 to play. A long ball was sent overtop of the LC attack and HC back line, forcing Theis to come out and try to beat Rudy to ball. Rudy instead got their fractionally before the Flying Dutch netminder, slipped the ball past her and depositing a controlled effort into an open goals for a 3-2 lead.

Lynchburg would make the lead hold up throughout the remainder of the contest, setting up a Saturday showdown with the host Saints (21-0-1). TMC remained unbeaten on the season with a 3-1 first round win over Penn St.-Behrend. The Saints have won 18 straight games and have not lost since a 1-0 setback to Centre College in the 2015 NCAA third round.