SANTA FE, N.M. – Now that's how to break out of a slump.
 
Shut out for three straight games and in four of five to start the year, the MSU Denver women's soccer team erupted Friday in an 8-0 victory over New Mexico Highlands in the teams' Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference opener.
 
"It was good," MSU Denver coach Tracy Chao said. "Our focus was on ourselves. How to we continue to tactically execute what we need to do in front of the goal?"
 
First Taylor Reising scored following Jessica Mooney's corner kick. Then freshman Arantxa Melendez scored her first career goal following a free kick.
 
Then Gabriella Gamboa, All-RMAC second team last year, scored her first two goals of the season.
 
Then it was Jaimy Sawaged scoring. Then Elisa Dean. And Luna Garica. And finally Paloma Teran.
 
"Eight goals and seven goal-scorers," Chao said. "We did it collectively, and that's one of the strengths of our team.  We were working together, and our movement off the ball was really good, especially our forwards' movement, and that's an area where we've been struggling.
 
"Our forwards were in sync with our back line, and we were finding ways to break them down. So hat's off to our forwards and midfielders specifically."
 
It was the first time MSU Denver scored eight goals in a game since beating Highlands by the same score on Oct. 26, 2012, and it tied for the most goals for the program since posting a 10-1 win over Adams State on Sept. 16, 2007.

MSU Denver put 18 shots on goal. Erica Torres made three saves in posting her second shutout of the season.
 
Now the Roadrunners (2-4 overall, 1-0 RMAC) will check to see if they have some more goals left in them Sunday, when they play at CSU-Pueblo in a 1 p.m. game.
 
"We got the deep breath after scoring," Chao said. "We knew we could do it. The belief and knowing that we had the ability to score goals was there, and we finally showed it and proved it. Now we have the opportunity to build off our attacking principals and continue to move forward with what we do best."