LIONS DEFEAT CLEARWATER CHRISTIAN

Hannah Beard Records First Hat Trick of the Season.

SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Saint Leo women’s soccer team (3-1-1) secured their third win of the season in a 13-0 non-conference defeat of the Clearwater Christian Cougars (4-6), Friday evening from University Field.

Hannah Beard led the way for the Green & Gold, as she recorded her first hat trick of the season and third of her career. Aija Bent-Trinder completed the first two-goal performance of her career while Courtney Kassab, Chrissy Darwell, and Francesca Williams each had three-point nights. Kelli Jones and Jessica Morejon scored the first goals of their collegiate careers and Lise Nisja tallied the first point of her career.. The Lions began their evening with eight goals in the first half and added five more in the second period to close out the win.

Senior Sara Macko ignited the offensive outburst just 18 seconds in the match when Darwell found the midfielder on the left side of the box. Macko didn’t waste her opportunity as she slid it past the goaltender for her first goal of the game and a Saint Leo 1-0 lead.

Beard caught fire minutes later blasting a pair of goals in the fifteenth and eighteenth minutes, while Pia Soesemann slotted her third goal of the season into the back of the net after a second pinpoint pass from Darwell. With the score 4-0, Courtney Kassab rocketed home her first goal of the 2009 season to extend the SLU lead to 5-0.

Morejon then placed her name on the score-sheet as she found the back of the net for the Lions’ sixth goal of the game and first of her collegiate career on a feed from Kassab. After McQuade struck home a corner kick attempt, Bent-Trinder concluded the first half by knocking in her first goal of the season as SLU entered the half up 8-0. 

Six minutes out of the break, Saint Leo added to their lead. Nisja dribbled around a pair of defenders and found Williams near the front of the box for her only goal of the night. Jones then capitalized on solid pressure in front of the net, as she poked through her first collegiate goal to increase the lead once more. Beard then topped the night off with her third blast off a fine delivery from Dari Alcantara from the left side of the 18-yard box. Bent-Trinder followed the Beard tally with her second goal of the game in the 76th minute. The scoring was closed out by Darwell in the 77th minute as she scored her first goal of year.

In the win, Kelcee Mai registered her second win of the young season in 45 minutes of action.

The Lions now prepare for an SSC showdown with nationally-ranked Florida Tech on Saturday, October 3 from University Field. The game is scheduled to get underway at 5:00 pm.
 

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