Bermudian defender Danni Watson delivered an assured, commanding display at the heart of the backline as West Virginia State University secured a convincing 3-1 away victory over Mountain State rivals West Virginia Wesleyan College.
The Yellow Jackets dictated proceedings from the outset, utterly dominating the stat sheet as they overwhelmed the Bobcats with an expansive attacking display.
State outshot their hosts by a staggering 27 attempts to nine, maintaining a clinical edge with a nine to three advantage in shots on target, while Watson and her fellow defenders stood firm against Wesleyan’s sporadic counter-attacks.
Leila Karam spearheaded the visitors' attack, bagging a well-taken brace to put Wesleyan to the sword. Karam broke the deadlock to hand West Virginia State a deserved lead, setting the tone for an afternoon of one-way traffic.
Kaylee Smith doubled the Yellow Jackets' cushion with a composed finish to put the visitors firmly in the driving seat.
Despite Wesleyan managing to find a reply, State's dominance never wavered. The visitors turned the screw after the interval, racking up five second-half corner kicks to finish with a commanding 7-2 set-piece advantage overall.
Watson helped marshal the defensive lines through the closing stages before Karam extinguished any lingering hopes of a home fightback, popping up late on to slot home her second of the afternoon and seal an emphatic road triumph for the Yellow Jackets.
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