MOORHEAD, MN – A natural hat trick from
Dina Polanco headlined a 6-0 road win for the University of Mary women's soccer team at MSU Moorhead.
Maggie Bono added a brace of goals as the Marauders set a high-water mark for goals this season.
The victory moved the Marauders into a tie for first place in the Northern Sun. With one game remaining in the regular season, the Marauders are 12-2-3 overall and are tied with Minnesota State for first place in the NSIC with 35 points on identical records of 11-1-2.
UMary has already clinched a top-2 finish in the NSIC and a home playoff game to open the conference tournament on Monday, November 2.
A UMary win on Thursday in the regular season finale would ensure the Marauders at least a share of the Northern Sun championship.
The Marauders extended their undefeated streak to 12 games, which includes six straight wins. The streak is the longest for UMary since beginning NCAA and Northern Sun play in 2006.
Polanco broke the Marauders NCAA-era record for goals in a season on her first goal of the day. The Guatemalan national team player has 18 goals this season to surpass Megan Wilson's total of 15 in 2007. Polanco also surpassed Wilson's record for points. The UMary sophomore now has 38 points this season to edge past Wilson's 33 points in 2007.
The hat trick is the first for the Marauders in 19 years. Wilson scored three goals against Southwest Minnesota State University on October 1, 2007. Jessica Janusz also had a hat trick that season against the University of Sioux Falls on September 1. Polanco, Wilson and Janusz all hold UMary's NCAA-era record for points in a game with six.
UMary grabbed the lead in the 5' on Polanco's first goal. Fouled inside the penalty area at 32:00, the sophomore forward remained perfect on penalty kicks this season when she drilled her sixth into the right side of the net.
Polanco wrapped up her hat trick when she pounced on a loose ball outside the goal box and fired a shot into the right side of the frame in the 41' to send UMary into intermission with a 3-0 lead.
The Marauders kept rolling in the second half. Great anticipation by
Chloe Brand turned an
Ivy Wessel free kick into a goal for the UMary senior at 50:33.
Two quick goals by Bono sealed the Marauders win. After scoring a 59:45, the sophomore found the net just 73 seconds later to close out the UMary victory.
Kadyn Dilger wrapped up her second clean sheet of the weekend and seventh of the season as she made two saves.
UMary held the advantage in shots (21-9), shots on frame (8-2) and corner kicks (2-0) over MSUM (3-12-2 overall, 2-11-1 NSIC).
The Marauders remain unbeaten in the all-time series against the Dragons, improving to 18-0-4.
With one regular season game remaining, the Marauders look to set a single game attendance record on Thursday, October 29, when UMary hosts HWY 83 rival Minot State University in a 5 pm match. Tailgating starts at 4 pm at the MDU Resources Community Bowl. The first 200 fans wearing Marauders gear or blue and orange receiving a sensory cube.
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