DAHLONEGA — A pair of hat tricks, including a program-best four-goal performance, paced the top-seeded University of North Georgia women's soccer team past eighth-seeded USC Aiken, 9-0, in the Peach Belt Conference quarterfinals Tuesday night at the UNG Soccer Complex.
Taylor Malasek was the first Nighthawk to tally a hat trick, scoring in the 49th, 56th and 63rd minutes. The freshman also notched two assists on the day, tying the program's highest single game point total with eight.
McKay Shively proceeded to get a hat trick of her own and, then, score one more to set a new program best in goals scored with an 87th minute goal to bring the match to its final score.
Brynn Finneran and Renee VanHorn also scored goals with VanHorn's goal coming in the 59th minute and Finneran's 15 minutes later.
NOTES
- The two hat tricks were the 11th and 12th in UNG history. Malasek's eight-point performance ties Caroline Wallace's match against Georgia Southwestern in 2013.
- UNG took 37 shots in the match, the second-highest total of the season.
- Hannah Goudy made three saves late in her playing time to earn her fifth shutout of the season, combining with Kaitlyn Siberski for the second time.
- In the other three PBC quarterfinal matches, UNC Pembroke defeated Georgia College, 1-0; Flagler needed overtime to beat Young Harris, 1-0; and Columbus State ran past Lander, 5-0.
NEXT UP
The Nighthawks will play in the Peach Belt Conference semifinals against fourth-seeded UNC Pembroke Friday morning at Blanchard Woods Park in Evans, Georgia. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m.
