Entering Friday's night SWAC match against the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Alabama State women's soccer coach Jodie Smith was looking for a way to reignite the team's flame and more resemble the squad that breezed through last October with an undefeated 8-0 march to the playoffs.   
 
Consider that fire relit. 
 
The Alabama State women's soccer team put an exclamation point on a dominating 7-0 home win against the Lady Lions on Friday night at the ASU Soccer Complex.  The Lady Hornets will now turn its' attention to SWAC opponent Grambling State (0-7-1 overall, 0-4-1 SWAC) on Sunday at 1 p.m. 
 
Alabama State (4-9 overall, 1-3 SWAC) challenged many of the school's individual and team records in Friday's match.  Among their engineers in providing that outcome came from the legs of upstart sophomore Kayla Edwards and fellow sophomore force Aaliyah Lewis. 
 
Edwards and Lewis notched the sixth and seventh hat tricks in ASU history.  Moreover, each was able to pull it off in just the first half.
 
Lewis is now up to eight goals and four assists (20 points) to lead all conference scores while Edwards has ascended up the list with four goals and an assist—with all of her points coming in the last four matches. 
 
"I think ever since we've gone through that lineup change to Shelbi [Vienna-Hallam], Kayla [Edwards] and me up top, the chemistry has been there," said Lewis, who now has 63 points (26 goals, 11 assists) in 34 career matches. 
 
"We came in fired up and are beginning to know what to expect from each other.  We're seeing the field well and are creating opportunities.  Kayla and I know how each other play from being teammates last season.  Even then, [as a defender] she would find me from the back line.  She reads me so well and I think Shelbi just has a natural ability.  I see a difference.  We are so eager to get back to where we were last year so it's finally dawned on us that we can do it with a little more want to attitude and leave it all on the field."
 
Edwards has relished her move from defender to the forward position.  And, it has shown up on the scoreboard as the Lady Hornets have now scored 11 goals in the past four matches since the switch.   
 
"Since I pulled up, I feel like we all work well together," Edwards said. 
 
"We understand each other and where we are going to run.  It helps make runs and score the ball.  Since we do work well, we have a desire to score and help each other out.  We care about each other doing well out there.  This game was different from the Howard match because we were able to finish and make the runs that we were supposed to make.  The confidence is running higher.  I've been hoping to make the coaches not regret putting me up top and make them proud.  I don't feel like it's just me though.  I think we're all helping create chances for one other." 
 
                                                                              #GOHORNETS#