MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Everything came together in the final match of the season for the Robert Morris University women's soccer team, which won its second in a row with a 4-0 wipeout of St. Francis Brooklyn on a blustery Friday afternoon at the North Athletic Complex.

Although the kickoff temperature wasn't far from freezing, the RMU attack started in smoldering fashion, scoring three times in the opening half to put a down payment on its fourth Northeast Conference win.

Freshman Sheridan Reid spearheaded the performance with a goal and two assists, but co-captains Kristina Kelley and Brittany O'Connell notched a goal and an assist each as the Colonials (6-10-2, 4-5-1 NEC) matched their season high for offense.

"I think it was a good way to end the season," said the senior Kelley, whose 15 career goals tie her for fifth on the program's all-time scoring list. "I think we needed it. Growing that momentum into the spring and next year, I think it'll help them."

🗣"It was a great way to end the season. I think we needed it."

Senior @krissy_kelley reflects on four years at @RMU, a big season finale and her expectations for our younger players into the future! pic.twitter.com/vt7SQD1yXK

— RMU Soccer (@RMUWSoccer) November 1, 2019

Kelley was one of four seniors honored prior to the game, along with defender Megan DiNatale, midfielder Nicolette Casarcia and goalie Julia Schmid. Although the group wasn't able to qualify for the NEC postseason during its tenure, it also never failed to reach the four-win threshold in league play. 

This year, when the team was eliminated from tournament contention with two games to play, the Colonials took care of business in the final pair, beating Merrimack 1-0 on the road on Kelley's goal before blasting winless St. Francis Brooklyn, a newcomer to NEC women's soccer.

Fittingly, in a season that saw the Colonials surrender just 1.33 goals per game -- the fourth-best mark in 28 years of program history -- a shutout capped the schedule.

Junior keeper Sydney Bruckner stopped a season-high 12 shots, including a diving, charging effort in the first half to maintain a 2-0 lead. Friday marked the junior's fifth clean sheet of the season and the 10th of her RMU career. She finished with an .838 save percentage in 18 appearances, the fourth-best single-season mark in team annals.

Combine Bruckner's shot-stopping ability with the prowess of sophomore center backs Allie Ball and Courtney Hurey, and the Colonials have a defensive base for the future.

"As the season went on, we were growing with the season, with the younger players," head coach John Kowalski said. "Allie and Courtney were working together well, and with the outside defenders. That kind of thing evolved over the 18 games of the season."

As for the attack, the Colonials will miss Kelley's presence in the future; the native of Halifax, Pa., graduates in solo fifth in RMU history with 41 total points. On the other hand, the Colonials just had a freshman lead them in scoring for the first time since 2008. Reid (five goals, three assists) and classmate Kayla Veloso-Lima (four goals, two assists) were RMU's top two scorers, in fact.

And O'Connell will return as a senior pillar, one of four Colonials who started all 18 games this year. The Norwin High School grad keyed Friday's early outburst, taking an 11th-minute through-ball from Reid and ringing a shot off the right post and into the net.

After Reid cashed in Ball's first NCAA assist on 21 minutes, O'Connell was also critical in adding a third goal before the half. Settling a ball just outside the top of the penalty area, O'Connell smartly fed square for Reid, who tapped it along for a wide-open Kelley to pop into the left-side netting.

To cap the day, sophomore midfielder Chelsea Kingston rattled in a shot from distance in the 56th minute. With that closing tally, underclassmen accounted for 13 of RMU's 22 goals on the season. Also, five underclassmen played in all 18 games, while three more saw action in at least 14.

"The freshmen and sophomores got a terrific amount of experience going forward," Kowalski said. "Looking to reload a little bit. On the defense we have good depth. With the players coming back, we will be the type of team that can challenge for the championship."

On her way off the NAC pitch for the final time as a player, Kelley shared a similar thought. For as much as Friday was a fitting sendoff for the Class of 2020, it also provided a glimpse of future possibilities. 

"I think they should look forward to the playoffs," Kelley said. "This team is young, but they've played together for a couple of years now. I think they're going to go far."