A youth movement has been felt early and often for the Michigan women’s soccer team.

Freshmen Nkem Ezurike and Tori McCombs entered the weekend with three and two goals respectively, finishing as the top two on the team. The dynamic duo continued their torrid pace on Friday against Massachusetts, as Ezurike scored a pair of goals, while McCombs added another.

But two new rookies on the squad emerged and made their presence felt Friday. Freshmen Kayla Manino and Meghan Toohey each got on the scoresheet for the first time, as Manino tallied her first goal and Toohey earned her first assist.

Manino played just 24 minutes, but made her presence felt in scoring the second goal of the game. After receiving a pass from Ezurike, Manino dribbled in on a breakaway and calmly beat the keeper on a low finish to the side netting. The impact of her first collegiate goal seemed not to hit Manino immediately judging by her modest celebration on the field.

“I didn’t really know what to think,” Kayla Manino said. “It didn’t quite hit me at first, it wasn’t until I was in the locker room at halftime that it sunk in. On the field, it was all kind of a big blur.“

Though Toohey stands at just 5-feet even, she was a giant in the middle of the field for the Wolverines. In her 80 minutes, Toohey made a massive impact, playing the part of a box-to-box midfielder with much more poise than one would expect of a player six games into her career.

The assist from Toohey first came from tackling a UMass player in her own half, then delivering a beautiful through-ball 30 yards down the field to set up Ezurike’s second goal.

“[Getting my first assist] was really great,” Meghan Toohey said. “I’m really confident in our team. The environment we play in pumps everybody up, and it was great to take part in it.”

Michigan coach Greg Ryan worked hard to recruit a dynamic attacking freshman class to complement his veteran defense, and he was proud to see two new inexperienced players rise to the challenge.

“Meaghan Toohey is such a dynamic player,” Ryan said. “She can run through defenses by herself and she can do work on the defensive end. One of the best two-way players I’ve ever coached. Kayla is very smooth, confident, and composed with the ball, so when she got a chance she made it look easy. Other players think they have to bang it hard, she just rolls it under the keeper. They’re both doing really well.”

With conference play coming up, the Wolverines will have to rely more and more on their talented freshman class. Still, this pair seems as humble as ever, even on a day when they shined.

“The older girls have taught us so much already,” Toohey said. “How hard they work is very inspiring for us, so I think we all bust our butt to make this team a winning team."