SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. - Three second-half goals lifted the Laurier Golden Hawks to a 5-1 victory over the Algoma Thunderbirds on a sunny Saturday afternoon at Superior Heights Turf Field, improving Laurier to 2-0 on the season.

The Golden Hawks opened the scoring in the seventh minute when Sophia Morgan's corner bounced through a crowded penalty area before Genevieve Morgan found the back of the net for her first career OUA goal, giving the purple and gold an early 1-0 lead.

The Golden Hawks continued to create opportunities through set pieces, earning six corners and recording four shots on goal in the opening half while holding Algoma to one shot on target.

Algoma responded in their own way in the 37th minute. A free-kick opportunity eventually found Algoma's Avari Holmond, whose header fell to Kay Tones for the finish and a 1-1 even score.

Laurier regained their lead during first-half stoppage time when Morgan received a pass from Sophia Morgan and scored her second of the game from the right side to cut Laurier's lead to 2-1 heading into halftime.

The Thunderbirds pushed for an equalizer early in the second half, but Laurier's defence held strong. Goalkeeper Mya Brodrecht helped preserve the lead with a save following an Algoma free kick in the 69th minute.

The turning point came in the 73rd minute when Laurier captain Ashley Greco converted a free kick through the Thunderbirds' defensive wall into the lower left side of the net to restore the Golden Hawks' two-goal advantage at 3-1.

Greco struck again in the 85th minute, with her shot slipping through Algoma goalkeeper Pennington's hands to extend the lead to 4-1.

Laurier added one more in the 90th minute when Vanessa Dias crossed the ball for Jessica Breda, who finished an impressive run with a solid right-footed shot to the lower corner to secure the 5-1 victory.

The Golden Hawks will look to grab a third straight win on Sunday at 1 p.m. Catch the action live on OUA.tv