FERRUM, Va. – Centre field hockey could not have asked for a better start to the Southern Athletic Association slate, defeating associate-member Ferrum, 5-1, at W.B. Adams Stadium Saturday morning.

The Colonels improve to 5-1 overall and start the conference season 1-0, winning their fifth game since dropping the season opener. Ferrum falls to 1-6 (0-1) with the loss.

Saturday's statistics were staggering, with the Colonels dominating possession with more shots (38 to 2), shots on goal (23 to 1) and penalty corners (12 to 3).

It took less than eight minutes into the match for Centre to get on the scoreboard, as regining SAA Offensive Player of the Week Hayley Barker (Louisville, Ky.) scored off of Brooklyn Bell's (Louisville, Ky.) assist.

The Colonels scored two in quick succession near the midway point of the half, as rookie Sarah Biggs (Louisville, Ky.) scored her second goal of the season off of an assist by Emily Schank (Louisville, Ky.).

Less than two minutes later Biggs helped on sophomore Olivia Carter's (Louisville, Ky.) score, making it 3-0.

Barker netted her second goal of the morning before the halftime buzzer, marking her third multi-goal game in a row and making it 4-0 at the break. Biggs picked up her second assist on the goal, as well.

After nearly an hour of game play, the host Panthers finally scratched the scoreboard on Kiani Mohica's goal.

Carter answered with an unassisted goal in the 65th minute – her second of the day and third this season – to put the Colonels back up by four at 5-1, a margin too wide for Ferrum to tackle.

Sophomore Kristen Mulcahy (Cedarburg, Wis.) played all 70 minutes between the pipes for Centre, but faced only two Ferrum shots.

Centre continues its road swing Sunday morning, facing Roanoke in a non-conference match at 11 a.m. ET.