FARGO, N.D.-- In its first regular-season home match since 2003, the North Dakota State women's soccer team improved to 2-0 on the season after a 6-0 win against Mary at the Ellig Sports Complex on Thursday, Sept. 1.

A pair of true freshman recorded their first career goals as a Bison to put NDSU up 2-0 by the end of the first period. Jestina Orlando struck first with a shot from inside the box at 2:21. On the play, Olivia Cole notched her first assist on the season.

The score went unchanged until Stacey Howell followed with her first collegiate score with an unassisted shot at 43:38.      

"Give Mary credit, I thought we started a bit slow and they battled hard. I wasn't happy with the first half, but we fixed some things and had a very good second half," NDSU head coach Pete Cuadrado said.

The Bison fired 11 shots per half for a game total of 22 while limiting Mary to eight total shots with one coming after halftime.

"In the second half we made a lot better decisions, we really moved the ball well and moved off the ball well," Cuadrado said.

After an NDSU shot and a save by Marauder goalkeeper Brannigan Coyle, a tipped ball off of a Mary player reached the back of the net to put the Bison up 3-0.

The scoring continued when Michelle Martinez, NDSU's leading scorer in 2004, got her first two goals of the season. In a three-minute span, Martinez scored an unassisted goal and launched a successful shot from inside the box after receiving a pass from Orlando.

Keri Blanchette finished the scoring for the Bison with an unassisted goal at 61:40.

Karli Kopietz earned her second win of the year after playing more than 73 minutes in goal and recording four saves.      

NDSU returns to the field with a home match against Northern Iowa at noon on Sunday.

"It will be great to have our first Division I opponent in North Dakota, this is the game we have been looking forward to for a long time," Cuadrado said.