LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The arrival of Eastern College Athletic Conference play brought out the best in the Bellarmine University field hockey team on Friday at Owsley B. Frazier Stadium.

Six different players scored and eight different Knights helped to account for the goals in a convincing 7-1 victory over Newberry.

"Overall, I couldn't be happier with our effort," Bellarmine Coach Mark Blankenbaker said. "We've started 1-0 in the conference, but we have to have today's focus in every game to win the conference. If we don't, any team on any day can beat us."

Before meeting the Wolves (1-4, 0-2 ECAC), Bellarmine (4-3, 1-0) had dropped three-straight matches. The Knights tuned up for the opening of league action with a Thursday exhibition against Concordia in which they won 7-1 behind a hat trick from senior forward Kelsey O'Bryan.

The All-American and her Knights teammates picked up right where they left off on Friday afternoon. O'Bryan scored less than three minutes into the match. Senior midfielders Anna O'Toole and Aimee Ilgenfritz — the latter on an assist by freshman forward Merit Harris — then sandwiched goals around a score by sophomore midfielder Katie Jo Hollkamp as Bellarmine built a 4-0 lead at halftime. The tally at the intermission was only one goal shy of the team's season high for an entire match.

Bellarmine then equaled its best scoring output when O'Toole pushed down the goal line and spotted senior forward Kathryn Schneidtmiller in front of the cage early in the second half for a 5-0 lead. The Knights set a new barometer for scoring when junior forward Helena Varga converted off a short pass from junior forward Megan Carney. O'Bryan connected with O'Toole with 5 seconds left to cap off the festival of goals.

"We had really great team balance on the attack the whole way," Blankenbaker said. "We executed like we were supposed to the entire way."

Bellarmine racked up 17 shots for the match, sinking seven of its 11 that were on goal. The Knights' defense matched its offensive dominance, smothering Newberry until the Wolves scored with a little under 5 minutes remaining. Newberry totaled five shots, with two coming on frame.

"Our defense was incredible," Blankenbaker said. "I think we're coming together as a team on the attack end, and our defense is starting to get a lot of experience."

The hard-charging Knights got on the board in the third minute when O'Bryan ripped a shot into the left corner of the goal for a 1-0 lead. The advantage expanded to 2-0 in the sixth minute when O'Toole snuck in a shot from a difficult angle on the right side. Hollkamp capitalized at the 19-minute mark by tucking in a rebound as the lead swelled to 3-0. O'Bryan and O'Toole recorded their second goals of the season, while Hollkamp's score was the first of her career. O'Toole would tack on her third goal later.

Just ahead of halftime, Harris crossed toward the left side to Ilgenfritz, who rifled a precise shot inside the far post for a 4-0 lead on her fourth goal of the year. Schneidtmiller's fourth goal of this campaign came in the 44th minute for a 5-0 advantage, and Varga's first goal in the 62nd minute bumped it to 6-0.

Newberry stopped Bellarmine's dominant string of scoring in the 66th minute, but O'Bryan and O'Toole put a finishing touch on the commanding win just ahead of the final buzzer.

Bellarmine will host Mercy in an ECAC match at noon (ET) Saturday.

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