Skip to navigation Skip to content Skip to footer
Hiltbrand’s Second Half Hat Trick Elevates Women’s Soccer, 4-2

Hiltbrand’s Second Half Hat Trick Elevates Women’s Soccer, 4-2

COBLESKILL, N.Y. – Sophomore Heather Hiltbrand (Fayetteville, N.Y.) scored three goals in the second half to lift the Wells College women's soccer team to a dramatic 4-2 victory over the Fighting Tigers of SUNY Cobleskill Saturday afternoon. The Express pick up their first victory of the season (1-4, 1-1 NEAC) while also earning their first league victory on the season. Cobleskill remains winless on the year and falls to 0-5 overall and to 0-2 within league play.

With Wells trailing by a 2-1 margin coming out of halftime, Hiltbrand scored the next three goals of the game to place Wells ahead for good by a 4-2 score. The first hat trick of her career, Hiltbrand's trifecta was the first by a member of the Express since Paige Stone '12 scored three against Wilson on Oct. 13, 2012. Additionally, it was the first hat trick scored in a single half since Stone racked up three first half goals in 15:27 against Gallaudet on Sept. 25, 2011.

Junior Shannon Blanford (Fayetteville, N.Y.) scored the first goal of the game at 9:12 of the first half to place Wells up by a 1-0 margin early. Cobleskill, however, scored next with a Michelle Boyle strike at 42:20 of the first half to knot the score at one apiece. The Fighting Tigers clawed their way to a first-half advantage following a Peyton Falb goal with only 10 seconds left in the first half to grant the hosts the temporary 2-1 lead.

Hiltbrand's first second half goal came at 49:45 as a feed from Blanford was forced home to knot the score at two. The game-winning strike came in the 77th minute as Hiltbrand ripped a shot from 20 yards out that eluded the grasp of Cobleskill goalkeeper Hayley MacLean to place Wells ahead by a 3-2 margin. Hiltbrand converted her team's fourth goal with only 15 seconds remaining in the game as she tucked a corner kick just inside the near post to conclude the scoring on the afternoon.

Express goalie Kylie Nishioka (Encinitas, Calif.) made seven saves to pick up her first collegiate women's soccer goalkeeping victory. MacLean drew the loss, allowing four goals on 12 Wells shots, in a complete game effort.

Wells applied heavy pressure near the goalmouth, forcing the defense into allowing 12 corner kicks for the Express while outshooting the hosts by an 18-to-12 margin.

The Express return to action Sunday, Sept. 15 as they face-off against the Hawks of Hartwick College in a 1:00 p.m. road contest. Stay up to date with the latest news directly from the Wells College athletic department by "liking" us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/WellsExpress) and subscribing to our Twitter account (http://www.twitter.com/WellsExpress).