Kim Mirra led Stevens with two goals and one assist.

HOBOKEN, N.J. – Juniors Kim Mirra (Aston, Pa./Sun Valley) and Valerie Barnhart (Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown) scored two goals each as Stevens Institute of Technology earned a 5-0 win over Chestnut Hill College in the first round of the NCAA Division III women’s soccer championship on Wednesday night at DeBaun Field.

Stevens, which is unbeaten in its last nine games, improves to 14-6-1.  The Ducks advance to the second round where they will face Union College on Saturday at 11 a.m. in Schenectady, N.Y.  Stevens won its NCAA opener for the second straight season as it earned a 1-0 win over Johns Hopkins at home last year.  Chestnut Hill, in its first year of varsity competition, closes its season with a 16-2-1 record.

Stevens, which held a 28-4 advantage in shots, took control early as Mirra scored on a shot to the lower left corner from 12 yards, finishing off a pass from junior Milia George (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Massapequa) in the 10th minute.  The Ducks extended their lead when Barnhart scored off a rebound of a Mirra shot in the 26th minute, giving Stevens a 2-0 lead at halftime.

Barnhart scored again in the 52nd minute when she dribbled into the penalty area and fired a shot to the lower left corner from 15 yards.  Sophomore Jaimie Mehnert (Waldwick, N.J./Waldwick) scored off a rebound 10 minutes later Mirra closed out the scoring with an unassisted goal in the 76th minute.

Chestnut Hill received five saves from freshman goalkeeper Krista Deflavis.  Senior Rommy Guevara (Kearny, N.J./Kearny) and freshman Erica Midttveit (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Memorial) played one half each for Stevens as they combined on the shutout with three saves.

STEVENS 5, CHESTNUT HILL 0

Chestnut Hill (16-2-1)  0   0  -  0

Stevens (14-6-1)        2   3  -  5

SIT  Kim Mirra (Milia George)           9:07

SIT  Valerie Barnhart (Kim Mirra)      25:59

SIT  Valerie Barnhart (unassisted)     51:22

SIT  Jaime Mehnert (Heather Dean)      61:53

SIT  Kim Mirra (unassisted)            75:40

Shots:  CHC 4; SIT 28

Corner Kicks:  CHC 1; SIT 5

Saves:  CHC 5 (Krista Deflavis); SIT 3 (Rommy Guevara 1; Erica Midttveit 2)