BOX SCORE

BURLINGTON, Vt. - Amelia Pereira had her biggest game since joining the Hartford women's soccer team as she scored three second-half goals to lead the Hawks past Vermont on Thursday, 6-2. Hartford exploded for five consecutive goals in the second half, including three in less than 15 minutes to put the game away.

Pereira, who also assisted on two of the Hawks' season-high six goals, moved into a tie for the team lead with five goals this season, and also shares the team lead with four assists.

The six goals scored marked the most for any Hartford women's team in a game since an 8-0 victory over Fordham in 2002.

The Hawks got on the board first midway through the first half when they converted on one of five first-half corner kick attempts. Pereira handled the kick, sending the ball curling in towards the front of the net where Caitlin Alves headed it in past the dive of Catamount goalkeeper Alyssa Kelly. For Alves, it was her first goal of the season.

Just over a minute later, Vermont tied the score when Emily Milbank converted a penalty kick.

The score remained 1-1 through halftime. After the intermission, the Hawks came out firing, netting goals on five of ten shot attempts in the second period. Less than four minutes into the second half, Pereira tallied her first score of the game when Alex Uscilla fired a shot into the middle which the sophomore from Madeira Island, Portugal redirected beyond Kelly and into the net. The Hawks had a 2-1 lead which they would not relinquish.

In the game's 52nd minute, the duo of Uscilla and Pereira hooked up again. This time, it was Pereira feeding an entry pass into Uscilla cutting towards the front of the net, where Uscilla pounded it home.

Nine minutes later, the Hawks were mounting yet another charge. Once again it was Pereira making things happen, as her nifty ballhandling found Julianne Oberholtzer, who executed the give-and-go to perfection as she fed Pereira for her second goal of the game. Less than 15 minutes after finding themselves in a 1-1 stalemate, the Hawks held a commanding 4-1 lead over Vermont, but they were not done.

With less than 23 minutes to play, Pereira completed her hat trick, benefitting from a pass from Caroline Dixon. Dixon found Pereira on the right side of the net, and Pereira beat Kelly to the far side, knocking the ball just inside far post.

Hartford closed out its scoring seven minutes later, when freshman Nicole Silenok got on the board for the first time in her collegiate career, cleaning up a rebound to give the Hawks a 6-1 lead.

Vermont added a goal less than 30 seconds later to pull within four at 6-2, but could get no closer.

The commanding victory was a strong start to the second half of the conference season for Hartford, which came into the game tied for fifth place in the league. Beginning with Thursday's contest, the Hawks face three of their final four games on the road. Thursday's victory marked an important step for the Hawks, who grabbed their first road victory since a 1-0 victory at Fairleigh Dickinson on September 12.

Hartford continutes its road swing on Sunday afternoon when it visits Maine at noon.