Butler sophomore forward Paige Achey scored a career-high four goals as the 19th-ranked Grizzlies rolled to a 6-0 shutout home win over Neosho County on Wednesday at BG Products Veterans Sports Complex.
Achey scored two goals in each half, while Butler also received goals from freshman Elise Leidersten and Abby Edson.
The win was Butler's third straight victory, but also kept the Grizzlies (6-3-0 overall, 3-0-0 conference) as the lone undefeated team in Jayhawk East Conference play.
Butler opened the scoring in the 15th minute when Zion DeWerff assisted on Achey's first goal of the season. From the middle of the field, DeWerff passed the ball 30 yards upfield to Achey, who got behind the Neosho defense and easily put a ball past the Panthers keeper.
The Grizzlies added goals in the 36th and 38th minute from Achey and Leidersten to take a 3-0 lead in the halftime break. Achey's goal came on a penalty kick after getting tripped up in the box, while Leidersten scored her team-high 10th goal of the season on an open net after Neosho failed to clear out a ball that drew the goalkeeper out of position.
In the second half, Achey scored consecutive goals within a minute of each other, getting a hat trick off a Tessa Irvine free kick and then following up with another penalty kick goal.
With a free kick from 30 yards out, Irvine found Achey positioned away to the left of the Neosho defensive wall. Achey then dribbled 10 yards in front of the goal to record her first career hat trick as a Grizzly. Just a minute later, Achey was knocked down from behind inside the penalty area to draw another penalty kick. The sophomore then put the ball inside the right side of the goal for her fourth goal of the game.
Edson's goal came in the 83rd minute as she scored on a poor Neosho clearance on a penalty kick.
Next up for Butler will be a road conference match on Monday against Cowley at 5:30 p.m. The Grizzlies were scheduled to play Navarro, Texas on Friday in Midwest City, Okla., but the game was canceled due to rain in the forecast.
NOTES: Butler improved to 25-0-0 all-time against Neosho County. Wednesday's shutout was the Grizzlies' 20th against Neosho... Achey's previous scoring high was two goals, which she achieved six times during her 2015 All-American season. Oddly enough, Achey's first two-goal game occurred against Neosho back on Sept. 13, 2015 in an 18-0 home win.
