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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

PELHAM – The Helena Huskies proved March’s shutout win over the Pelham Panthers was no fluke as they claimed a 6-0 win on Thursday, April 11 on the road at Pelham High School to sweep the season series over their rivals.

A big part of that was Ashlynn Beery’s standout first half as she scored three goals in the first half to record a hat trick as part of the Huskies’ five-goal first half.

Helena got to work quickly with its first goal of the night coming before the clock even hit the fifth minute of play. Beery found the back of the net to put the Huskies up 1-0.

From there, Helena pressed the attack both in the open field and on set pieces with a pair of corners in the 16th and 18th minutes coming up empty.

However, the Huskies doubled up their lead in the 20th minute. After a throw-in, Beery made a run at the left side of the goal and shot across the goal to score and make the lead 2-0.

Just two minutes later, Helena got another chance off a set piece. Beery took a free kick and found Baileigh Rumage on the other end of the ball to make it a three-goal lead.

That wouldn’t be the end for the Huskies in the first half after a long possession in the 27th minute led to a Helena player getting tripped inside the box and a penalty call.

Beery sent the ball into the top corner of the goal to put it out of reach of the Pelham keeper, securing her hat trick and extending the lead to 4-0.

Pelham then got on the attack and forced a pair of saves in the 30th and 38th minute from the Huskies.

With just a few seconds remaining in the half, Rumage took a run at the goal but ran out of space along the goal line. Fortunately for her, Kate Hendrix was in the box near the net. Rumage crossed the ball to her and Hendrix finished to make the halftime score 5-0.

Helena went in cruise control for the opening 20 minutes of the second half, but things picked up from there as it forced a couple of saves in the 64th and 65th minutes before Ashlyn Northrop took a shot at the side of the goal in the 67th minute.

The Panthers had their best chance yet of scoring their first goal of the match in the 70th minute when Lacey Lambert took a shot off a free kick that just hit the right post.

Three minutes later, Ashbi Davawala took her chances from deep to try and get Pelham’s first goal, but her shot was blocked by the Huskies defense.

However, Helena still had one more goal left in it as Northrop joined the score sheet in the 75th minute to cap off the 6-0 win for the Huskies.

Beery and Rumage each ended the night with an assist to go with their goals. Piper Stovall added an assist for herself as well.

All five of Hendrix and Beery’s shots finished on target to lead the team. Northrop, Rumage, Riley Souers, Abby Blevins and Kendall Payton each had two shots on goal as the Huskies put 20 shots on target as a team.

Addisyn Cook saved all four of the shots on goal that she faced in her 65 minutes in goal and Adyson Shelton had a save during her 15 minutes of play to combine for the clean sheet.

Helena can clinch a spot in the playoffs with a win in its final area match against Indian Springs on the road on Tuesday, April 17 at 5 p.m.

As for Pelham, it will look for its first win of area play against area champion Briarwood on Tuesday, April 17 at 5:30 p.m. at Pelham High School.