The UNA soccer team (4-0-1, 1-0) picked up its first conference win of the season Thursday night, defeating rival Alabama-Huntsville 6-1.

UAH’s speed up front helped the Chargers jump out to a quick 1-0 lead in the first half when forward Alexcia Alexander found the goal 13 minutes into the game. The Chargers kept the lead going into halftime.

Despite taking 11 shots in the opening period, UNA struggled to get on the board in the first half.

“We came out flat,” said head coach Chris Walker. “We got caught playing (UAH’s) game. We’re more than capable of playing possession soccer and passing and moving. We talked at halftime and had a few discussions about what needed to be done 10 times better.”

The Lions came out strong after the break. Six minutes into the second half senior forward Chloe Richards scored the equalizer off an assist from freshman midfielder Margarida Sousa.

“Once we get one goal in, we settle down and we play how we know we can,” Richards said. “We had to come out, press more and play the game that we know we could.”

Two minutes after Richards’ equalizer, freshman forward Kylie Huey found the back of the net for the go-ahead goal.

“Chris (Walker) told us at halftime we had to step it up,” Huey said. “Scoring those two goals in Florida last week and then coming out here and having the opportunity to score that many goals in the second half was great to me.”

After Huey’s first goal the rout was on.

UNA scored four more goals in a span of 22 minutes to take the final 6-1 lead. Richards completed the hat trick, Huey finished with two goals and an assist and junior midfielder Ele Costello added a goal of her own.

Sousa finished with three assists.

The Lions next game will be Sept. 19 at home against the Lee Flames.