Junior Whitney Shaffer (Norfolk, VA/Maury) netted three goals Saturday as host Sweet Briar College shut out conference-foe Hollins University 4-0 in soccer. The win is the first conference win of the season for the Vixens and improves their overall record to 3-10.

Shaffer broke the 0-0 tie with an unassisted goal with minutes remaining in the first half. Her second came off a feed from teammate Bethany Magee in the 55th minute. Sweet Briar’s third tally came 10 minutes later as first-year Helen Phillips (Lynchburg, VA/Heritage) connected on a cross from fellow first-year Amy Overman (Richmond, VA/St. Gertrude). Shaffer then rounded out her hat trick and the Vixens’ scoring with a goal in the 79th minute, assisted by Magee. Sweet Briar tallied 20 shots to Hollins 15 in the game.

Goalie Kristen Johnson ’09 (Federal Way, WA/Decatur) turned back 10 shots in the game on her way to recording her third shutout of the season.

The Vixen win came as Sweet Briar soccer honored its seniors, Cat Ashley (St. Albans, WV/St. Albans), Claire Bryan (Chesapeake, VA/Norfolk Academy) and Carlina Muglia (Amherst, VA/Amherst County), on the Colleges’ Families Weekend.

“We had a good performance defensively, only giving up shots from a distance and keeping a clean sheet. Going forward, the team was especially good in the second half with the number of chances they created,” said coach Paul Shaw about his team’s win.

Sweet Briar hosts Guilford College in an Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) contest this Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.

Overall: 3-10
ODAC: 1-8