WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Junior Sidney Spremullo scored her first career hat trick to lead the University of Hartford women's soccer team to its second-straight victory of a league opponent, posting a 5-1 tally over the visiting UMass Lowell River Hawks on Thursday. Hartford improves to 6-2-3 overall and 2-0-0 in the America East.
Spremullo finished the game with a career-high eight points, recording assists on a pair of goals from senior striker Chanel Johnson. The hat trick for the Woodbury, Conn., native is the first time a Hawks has scored three in a single game since October 10 2013 when Johnson scored every goal in a 3-2 overtime win over Stony Brook.
The game-winning goal for the Hawks came early in the contest with Spremullo converting Hartford's first penalty kick of the season in the ninth minute. Johnson and Spremullo then added back-to-back goals two minutes apart in the middle of the opening half to take a 3-0 advantage into the intermission.
Overall for the match, Hartford finished with a 15-6 shot advantage, including eight shots that were marked on target, one shy of the Hawks season-high. Hartford also finished with a 9-4 advantage in corner kicks.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
· Junior Sidney Spremullo converted the first Hartford hat trick of the season, including netting the game-winner on a penalty kick awarded in the ninth minute. She finished the game with eight points total providing a pair of assists to senior Chanel Johnson. The eight points for Spremullo is the most for a Hawk since October 2010 when Amelia Pereira matched
· Johnson completed her second multi-goal game of the season. Both of her scores came as insurance markers, the first at exactly 22 minutes in the first half and the second in the 55th minute, giving her 10 total for the season, setting a new career-best for a single year.
· Sophomore keeper Jessica Jurg finished the second America East game with one save, earning her fourth victory in as many starts. Overall, Jurg faced six shots with two on goal.
· As a team, Hartford finished its 10th game, in 11 total, outshooting their opponent with a 15-6 advantage over the River Hawks. Eight of the Hawks 15 shots were marked on goal with four coming from Johnson and three from Spremullo.
· Junior Elise Galipo also contributed a point against UMass Lowell, providing an assist to Spremullo on her second goal of the game. That assist from Galipo broke up a string of six-straight goals that Spremullo and Johnson connected on to score.
GOALS RUNDOWN
· Hartford opened the scoring in the ninth minute courtesy of a penalty kick converted by junior Sidney Spremullo. The play began with a scrum in the middle of the 18-yard box with an initial header from Caitlin Smallfield blocked by the River Hawks defense. On the ensuing play as senior Chanel Johnson looked to score on the left of the goal a penalty was called inside the box setting up Hartford's second PK attempt of the season.
· In the 22nd minute the Hawks added to its tally with the ninth goal of the season from Johnson. Spremullo began the play with a corner kick restart that sailed into the box, about eight yards out straight away. Johnson tracked down the cross and headed in the attempt inside the left upright. The connection of Johnson and Spremullo marked the fifth time in the last six goals they have linked up to score.
· Spremullo added a third score less than two minutes later, completing her second multi-goal game of the season. She accepted a centering pass from the right side off the boot of junior Elise Galipo and fired a low line drive straight in on the River Hawks goal, providing the three-goal advantage.
· In the 55th minute, Johnson netted her second goal of the game, giving her a new single season career-best of 10. Spremullo added to her point total for the night with her second assist providing a short cross at the top of the 18-yard box which Johnson collected and drove her second goal to the lower left corner.
· Spremullo completed the hat trick in the 64th minute when she curled in a direct kick from less than a yard outside of the 18-yard box just to the left of center. Her attempt sailed a couple feet over the outstretched arms of the River Hawks keeper and dropped in just under the cross bar.
· The River Hawks broke up the shutout in the 79th minute when Megan Raueso took advantage of a mishandled ball, tapping in the visitors only score.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
· The eight points for Sidney Spremullo is the most for a Hartford women's soccer player since October 14, 2010 when Amelia Pereira matched that total with three goals and two assists against the Vermont Catamounts.
· The five goals against UMass Lowell represents the second time in 2014 Hartford has scored five goals against an opponent. The last time the Hawks scored five or more goals in two games was in 2001 when the Hawks scored five each against Central Connecticut and New Hampshire and seven against Northeastern.
· Hartford has now outshot 10 of their 11 opponents in 2014, posting a 15-6 advantage against the River Hawks. For the season, the Hawks hold a 167-105 shot advantage.
· The five goals allowed by UMass Lowell ties the most goals allowed in the Division I (two years) history of the River Hawks, while it is also the most goals they have allowed against an America East opponent.
TWEETABLES (140 characters or less)
· JR Sidney Spremullo scored eight points total against UMass Lowell, the most for a single player since October 2010.
· SR Chanel Johnson (two) and JR Sidney Spremullo (three) added the third and fourth multi-goal games of the season for Hartford.
· Hartford has scored five goals in two games this season, the first time with 5-plus goals in more than one game since 2001.
· Sophomore keeper Jessica Jurg collected her fourth victory in as many starts, remaining undefeated in 2014.
UP NEXT
The Hawks close out a four-game homestand on Thursday, October 9 when they welcome the Binghamton Bearcats to Al-Marzook Field at Alumni Stadium. The conference battle is set for a 6 p.m. opening kickoff.
