Richardson Gets a Hat Trick, Beavers Advance with 5-0 Win over Memphis

(STILLWATER, Okla) - Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, Jenna Richardson recorded her first career hat trick as the No. 15 Oregon State women’s soccer team defeated Memphis, 5-0, in the first round of the NCAA tournament Friday night. The Beavers advance to face the winner of the Oklahoma State - Michigan match Sunday at 11 a.m. PT.

“She (Jenna Richardson) came alive tonight,” Oregon State women’s soccer head coach Linus Rhode said of Richardson’s performance. “She has created a lot of good opportunities all year. I am happy for her and that she put three away tonight.”

Richardson got the Beavers (16-3-1 overall) on the board in the 33rd minute of the match with her seventh goal of the year. She got the ball about 30-yards away from the goal, split two defenders and then punched the ball into the lower right corner of the net past the diving Memphis keeper Elise Kuhar-Pitter.

Oregon State took the 1-0 lead into the half. It outshot Memphis 10-to-4 in the first half put four of its 10 shots on goal. The Beavers also forced five corner kicks in the first half.

The Beavers struck early in the second half, just two minutes in, when Chelsea Buckland got the ball from Courtney Wetzel on a cross. Buckland then dribbled to the left side of the box and then drove the ball into the lower right corner of the net from 16-yards out. It was Buckland’s ninth of the season and Wetzel’s first assist of the night.

Wetzel recorded her second assist of the night when she connected with Richardson who took the ball and shot it from the right side from 18-yards out for her second goal of the match. Wetzel added her third and final assist of the night when she crossed the ball in front of the box where Melinda Ingalls headed it into the back of the net from six-yards out. It was Ingalls’ seventh goal of the season. Both goals were scored just over five minutes a part to give the Beavers the commanding 4-0 lead in the 56th minute.

Richardson completed her hat trick in the 66th minute of the match when she took the ball from Brittany Galindo on the right side of the field and then dribbled to her left and drove it into the back of the net to give the Beavers the 5-0 final score.

“We played very calmly and we kept going to the net, we didn’t really stop so that was impressive,” Richardson following her first career hat trick. “It was a surprise. I wasn’t coming in thinking I was going to get a hat trick. It was an amazing experience.”

The conditions were not the most desirable for a soccer match but it seemed to fit the Oregon State play well. It was fairly cold, windy and rainy which added with the short cut turf, really accelerated the ball. The Canadian connection of Buckland and Richardson was played to perfection several times in the match. Buckland would just launch the ball forward which allowed Richardson to use her speed to outrun defenders and get good looks on goal.

“I mean we are from Oregon, so it’s normal for us,” Wetzel said concerning the weather conditions. “It is a change when you think you will be traveling somewhere where it will be different. You get used to it after about 20 minutes.”

Oregon State outshot Memphis 24-to-14 in the game and had an 8-to-4 advantage on corner kicks. The 24 shots for the Beavers is the second most in a game this season.

Memphis (13-4-3) had a couple of chances in the second half but Oregon State keeper Colleen Boyd made two spectacular saves to preserve her school record 14th shutout of the season.

The five goals scored are the most this season for the Beavers and the most since they scored eight against Lamar in 2007. Richardson’s hat trick was the first for the Beavers since Jodie Taylor and Red Nixon both scored three times against Lamar.

The Beavers advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament for the second straight season and await the winner of the Oklahoma State – Michigan match. The Beaver’s second round game will be Sunday starting at 11 a.m. PT.

Notes: Freshman Jenna Richardson recorded her first hat trick of her career … Courtney Wetzel recorded three assists which ties her for first all-time in Oregon State history for a single game … Courtney Wetzel now has 21 career assists, two shy of the Oregon State record … Richardson has nine goals on the season which is third best all-time at Oregon State for a freshman … Fourteen total points (5g, 4a) is a season high for the Beavers … Five goals in a game is the most this season by Oregon State … The last time the Beavers scored more than five goals was in 2007 when they scored eight against Lamar … Richardson and Chelsea Buckland both have nine goals on the season which places them tied for 10th all-time at Oregon State for single-season goals … The shutout is the 14th of the season for the Beavers and keeper Colleen Boyd, which is a school record … Sixteen wins is a single season best for the Oregon State women’s soccer program.

Source: Oregon State Athletics