Megan Kerns’ Hat-Trick Leads No. 10 Florida Soccer to 6-1 Win at Alabama
10/19/08
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Senior Megan Kerns’ first collegiate hat-trick led
the No. 10 University of Florida soccer team (13-2-1, 8-0 SEC) to a 6-1
win at Alabama (9-6-1, 4-4 SEC) Sunday afternoon in front of an Alabama
Soccer Complex crowd of 432. Several players combined to match Florida’s
highest goal total of 2008 (UF also won 6-1 versus Nebraska on Aug. 31),
as seven Gators registered a goal or an assist Sunday.
Prior to the match, fellow Gator senior Liz Ruberry told Kerns that
Sunday was Kerns’ day to score. Her prophecy turned out to be three
times on target.
Kerns scored both of Florida’s first-half goals. The first came when
sophomore Nicky Kit took a few touches to bring the ball near the top of
the box. Her cross to the near post was met by the diving head of Kerns,
who placed the ball in untouched in the 23rd minute.
Her second goal was set up when freshman Lindsay Thompson crossed the
ball from the left touchline to the near post. Kerns received the ball
with back to goal, but made an assertive turn to put the ball in from
short distance at 34:44.
Kerns scored her third after the Gators were putting pressure on the
Tide goal in the second half. After some near chances, UF was finally
rewarded when Jessica Eicken sent a 20-yard ball into the box that found
Kerns near the center of the goal line. She won her 1v1 opportunity with
the goalkeeper to complete her first collegiate hat-trick at 71:18.
Kerns is the 10th Gator in the program’s 14-year history to turn in
three or more goals in a match. The last Gator hat-trick was turned in
by KeLeigh Hudson in Florida’s 5-1 win versus LSU on Oct. 28, 2007.
“I have to give credit to the crosses because they all were great
crosses,” Kerns said. “The first (goal) started with a great cross from
Nicky (Kit). I just kind of fell into it, got my head on it and beat the
keeper. The second started with another great cross from Lindsay
Thompson. I was just able to sneak it far post past the keeper. For the
third goal, Jess (Eicken) sent in a great ball that I barely hit with
the end of the toe.
“The team played great today,” she continued. “Everyone worked hard and
played really well.”
Sunday was Kerns’ fourth multi-goal match of her career and the third of
the season. In 2008, she turned in a pair of goals in Florida’s 6-1 win
versus Nebraska on Aug. 31 and also turned in both goals, including the
game-winner, in the 2-1 OT win versus Georgia on Sept. 26.
The Tide scored the first goal of the second half in the 55th minute
when Brooke Rogers put in a Jessica Deegan corner kick. Florida pushed
the lead back to a two-goal cushion just over three minutes later.
Tahnai Annis played a ball from the top of the box out wide where Angela
Napolitano’s 16-yard strike scored for her fifth goal of the season.
Thompson turned in her first multi-goal match as a Gator Sunday, hitting
Florida’s final two goals within a four-minute span. Her first goal was
an 18-yard strike from the top of the box that had just enough bend to
score at the upper corner slot. Her final goal came when Kerns sent the
ball from the center of the box to Caitlin Howard. Her cross from
10-yards above the box was headed in by Thompson from eight yards at
75:36 for her sixth goal of the season.
UF Head Coach Becky Burleigh thought a formation change by the Tide
helped UF in the second half.
“They made a tactical switch in the second half that I think opened
things up a little bit for us when they decided to play three in the
back. We’ve had some success against teams that play three (defenders)
in the back. They did score so that did help them close the gap, but I
had a feeling that if they left three in the back it would be good for
us,” Burleigh said. “That was a terrific pair of goals from Lindsay, a
great hat-trick from Megan and a timely goal by Angela. It was a great
all-around team contribution today.”
The Tide were forced to play the final 16 minutes a man down when
Colleen Posey was given her second yellow card of the match. Florida’s
goalkeepers, Meghan Berlingo and Katie Fraine, split halves Sunday.
Berlingo turned in one save and Fraine had two. UA’s goalkeeper Kara
Gudmens posted four saves Sunday.
Next up, Florida returns home to play host to SEC Western Division rival
Arkansas for the Oct. 23 regular-season home finale. Match time is set
for 7 p.m. (ET) at the James G. Pressly Stadium. The first 500 fans
receive Publix reusable shopping bags. Gainesville Regional Utilities
will be on hand Thursday to provide energy saving tips. The first 250 to
the match who bring in apparel with another team’s logo to “recycle”
will receive a free Gator Soccer morph ball, compliments of GRU.
Admission is free for all Gator soccer regular-season matches.
SUN Sports will air Thursday’s match live. The match can also be heard
live on WRUF AM 850 or on the simulcasts on Gator Radio - Cox Channel
96/946 in Gainesville and GatorZone.com with Adam Schick covering the
action.
Scoring Summary: 1st 2nd Final
Florida 2 4 6
Alabama 0 1 1
Scoring:
UF – Megan Kerns (Nicky Kit) 22:50
UF – Kerns (Lindsay Thompson) 33:44
UA – Brooke Rogers (Jessica Deegan) 54:12 UF – Angela Napolitano (Tahnai
Annis) 57:24 UF – Thompson (Kerns) 71:43 UF – Thompson (Caitlin Howard,
Kerns) 75:36
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