Meadows Second Straight Hat-Trick Leads Mounties Over Daemen

MANSFIELD – It's official -- Delaney Meadows has gone hat-trick crazy!

Meadows recorded her second straight hat-trick to lead Mansfield to a 3-1 win over Daeman in a non-conference matchup Wednesday afternoon at the Soccer Field.

"Meadows is off to a great start in her freshman year," said head coach Tim Dempsey. "Two hat-tricks in a row is a rare and great accomplishment. Her third goal was really a big goal for us and gave up a great lift at a time when we needed one."

Meadows got off to a fast start, scoring the quickest goal in school history when she took a through ball from freshman Kersten O'Brien, putting past the keeper into the left hand corner of the net forty-seven seconds into the game.

Meadows struck again just four minutes later, this time taking a cross from senior Kelsey Chapman and touching it past the goalie for a 2-0 Mansfield lead.

Daemen closed the gap to 2-1 when Stepanie Zurales curled a long backline shot into the top right corner of the net early in the eighth minute.

Meadows picked up her hat-trick in the 40^th minute, taking a pass played from midfield by sophomore Nikki Ortiz and beat the keeper from 10- yards out.

"It was great to jump out to an early lead and not have to fight our way back," said Dempsey whose young team fell behind early before coming back in each of the first three games of the season. "We played very well in the first half and that's a very encouraging sign."

The win was the first of the season for the Mountaineers who started the year off with three straight games against teams that earned berths in the PSAC playoffs last season.

It marked the first time in the program's 14 year history a player scored three goals in the same season let along in back-to-back games. Meadows, who entered the game leading the PSAC in goals and points per game, has now scored seven goals after the first four games – already the third most goals in a season in school history.

Chapman, who become MU's all-time assist leader in the previous game, extended her school record to 10.

Mansfield held a 10-8 advantage in shots on goal with freshman goalie Rachel Fox recording seven saves.

Mansfield gets back to PSAC action when the Mountaineers travel to Pitt-Johnstown on Saturday.