BROOKVILLE, N.Y. — Noa Bartels van Bosbeek's parents relocated from the Netherlands to Spain for the sunshine. And they raised her in Güéjar Sierra, a village of 3,000 people, which sits at an elevation of 3,281 feet in the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

Now, Bartels van Bosbeek, who has Spanish and Dutch citizenship, has begun her own expedition, having relocated to Long Island to play for the LIU women's soccer team while studying sports management.

Her collegiate soccer debut proved a resounding success.

A 5-foot-11 forward, Bartels van Bosbeek applied pressure early and ultimately produced a second-half goal to cap the scoring in the Sharks' 3-0 season-opening victory against Saint Peter's on Thursday in Jersey City.

The scoring output and margin of victory both marked the most for the program since consecutive 4-0 wins against Mount St. Mary's and Merrimack two days apart in October 2019.

LIU looks to keep things rolling when it faces Rider in Lawrenceville, N.J., on Sunday at 5 p.m.

"She definitely brings a new dynamic to the team," second-year coach Lucy Gillett said. "She has a lot of energy and skill. It's going to help strengthen our squad. She's a very dominant, strong player. She's looking for a challenge, looking to be physical."

Bartels van Bosbeek said her initial impression of U.S. college soccer is that it is more full-throttle attack — "Go, go, go, go," she labeled it — as opposed to the premium placed on technique back home.

On her goal, Bartels van Bosbeek took advantage of miscommunication between the Saint Peter's goalkeeper and a defender in the box. She stole the ball and rolled it into the goal with her left foot.

"It was a very good feeling," Bartels van Bosbeek said. "I just pressured the goalkeeper and the defense and they had the mistake, so I took the chance and scored the goal."

Back home in southern Spain, Bartels van Bosbeek grew up playing indoor soccer with the boys in their mountain village, where she also spent time bicycling and fishing. By age 11, she was playing for on outdoor girls teams, and earned spots on the Granada and Andalusian regional teams.

Immediately before joining LIU, she was the top scorer during the 2022-23 season for the B team of Granada CF, which plays in the women's equivalent of La Liga.

"My dad told me once that here you can play and study. I like that," Bartels van Bosbeek said about joining LIU. "In Spain, it's not possible. It's more difficult to study and play football at the same level at the same time. So it was a very good option."

The newcomers in general had a strong showing in the Sharks' season-opening win at Saint Peter's. Smithtown West alum Stephanie Schubert scored a goal as well. And Matilda Boyle, Paige Letourneau, Allison Bennett and Betty Hall also started in the field in their collegiate debuts. Hall set up Gina Proviano's game-opening goal, in the 25th minute.

"The freshmen in general have come in with a competitive spirit and are pushing our team to get better," Gillett said.