Flash Points:

• Shannon Pereira (Toronto, Ontario, Canada/Francis Libermann Catholic) tallied three goals and added two assists.
• Carly Gromel (Harveys Lake, Pa./Lake-Lehman) recorded two assists on Sunday.
• Elizabeth Dyer (Berwick, Pa./Berwick) and Claudia Marzec (Whitinsville, Mass./Moses Brown School) combined for the shutout.

 
BOONE, N.C. – Behind a three-goal, two-assist effort from Shannon Pereira (Toronto, Ontario, Canada/Francis Libermann Catholic), the Saint Francis field hockey team beat Appalachian State, 6-0, on Sunday afternoon at Brandon & Erica M. Adcock Field.
 
Pereira's eight-point game is the second highest single game point total in program history.
 
Saint Francis (8-6) wasted little time to score against App State (1-11), as Pereira put SFU on the board just six minutes into the match. Five minutes later, Kyra Castano (Laflin, Pa./James M. Coughlin) tipped in a pass from Pereira to give Saint Francis a 2-0 advantage. Pereira scored her second goal of the first half at the 17th-minute mark after her shot bounced off an App State defender and redirected into the net.
 
A set pieced proved to be key for SFU on Sunday as they tacked on their fourth goal of the first half. Brianna Govia (St. James, Trinidad/Holy Name) received a pass from Pereira and Carly Gromel (Harveys Lake, Pa./Lake-Lehman) off the penalty corner, and found the left corner of the cage. Mackenzie Ruth (Ephrata, Pa./Ephrata Senior) scored her second goal of the season in the 32nd minute to give Saint Francis a commanding 5-0 lead heading into the half.
 
Pereira scored her third goal of the match in the 41st minute. After exchanging the ball at the top of the circle, Pereira won the battle and beat App State goalie Rachel Gaines to put the Flash ahead, 6-0. The Mountaineers logged six shots in the second half, but could not record a goal.
 
Elizabeth Dyer (Berwick, Pa./Berwick) and Claudia Marzec (Whitinsville, Mass./Moses Brown School) combined for the shutout. Dyer turned away the only shot she faced in the first half. Marzec recorded four saves in the second half.
 
Saint Francis outshot Appalachian State 11-8 and 7-5 on shots on goal. SFU owned a 9-5 advantage in penalty corners.
 
The Red Flash returns to Loretto next weekend for a pair of conference matches. First up for SFU is Saint Joseph's on Friday. Match time is set for 3 p.m.