APPLETON, Wis. – Kayla Bernardi scored two goals and the Marian University women's soccer team eased past Lawrence University 3-1 to clinch its season opener.

It didn't take long for the Sabres to find the back of the net.

At 13:02 in the first half Bernardi added her first goal of the contest and the Sabres went into halftime with a 1-0 lead.

Moments into the second stanza freshman Reina Dionisio scored her first career goal. At 72:24 Bernardi added her second goal of the game to secure the win.

"Overall I was happy with our play," MU head coach Jillian Sauer said. "In the first half we were playing frantic and not finding feet as much as we needed. In the second half we made a few adjustments and were much more successful going forward."

Junior Alysha Kallas was outstanding in the net and made eight saves to keep the Blue and White in the game.

Both teams had plenty of scoring opportunities. Lawrence outshot MU 15-14, however, the Sabres owned a 7-6 advantage in the second stanza.

The Sabres return to action this weekend at Beloit.