BOSTON – Christian Restrepo recorded a second-half, natural hat trick to lead the Suffolk men's soccer team to a 5-2 victory over Emerson on Wednesday night at Rotch Field. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 5, Emerson 2
RECORDS: Suffolk (2-1-0) | Emerson (1-1-1) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
Restrepo broke open a tied ball game twice – first a 1-all tie less than two minutes in the second stanza and again at the 58 minute mark – to put Suffolk in front for good. Simon Velez Angel added an insurance goal in the 75th minute before Restrepo completed his hat trick with under three minutes on the clock to secure the 5-2 non-league win.

GOALS

• Nearly 30 minutes passed before Suffolk was able to break the scoreless action in the 29th minute. From a giveaway in the back, Felipe Ucros curled a hard shot into the bottom left corner past David Kemp to give the Rams a 1-0 edge with his second goal of the season.
• Emerson squared the game at 1-all nearly a minute and a half after the Rams made their way onto the board. Gavin Faucette recovered a turnover by blue-and-gold netminder Kyle Van Cleef and fired his second goal of the year into an empty net to level the playing field.
• In the 47th minute, Suffolk pushed back on top after Restrepo rebounded a blocked shot from 10 yards out. James Fisher had a hand in the go-ahead goal.
• Two minutes later, Emerson's JW Clark deposited a deflection into the back of the net to even the score once again at 2-2.
• Restrepo's second strike of the net came off a blocked shot that fell in front of him to put the Rams in front for good in the 58th minute.
• Simon Velez Angel picked up the pieces of Jordan Casey's saved shot gave Suffolk a two-goal lead for the first time on the evening.
• Emerson had a chance to cut the score to one when Paul Bou was awarded a penalty kick with 23:34 on the clock. The junior saw his shot fall right into the arms of Jon Brodeur, who relieved Van Cleef in the 62nd minute, to keep the score in Suffolk's favor, 4-2.
• Restrepo completed his hat trick on a crossed pass from the right wing by Andy Young to put the Lions away for good, 5-2, in the 88th minute.

KEEPING UP WITH THE KEEPERS

• Van Cleef earned the nod in net for the Rams and picked up his third win of the season despite allowing both of the Lions two markers.
• Brodeur saw his first action of the season. In the final 29 minutes of action, the sophomore turned aside three Emerson attempts and kept the Lions off the scoreboard.
• Kemp let in 50 percent of the shots he faced (5-10) in the setback.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Suffolk held the advantage in shots, 18-15, with 10 attempts going on target.
• The Rams and Lions were even in corners and saves with five apiece.  

NOTEABLES

• Suffolk opens the campaign 2-1 for the first time in five years when the Rams opened up 2012 3-0.
• In the series, the Rams earned their first win over the Lions since 2010, snapping Emerson's five-game win streak versus the blue-and-gold.
• Restrepo is the first Ram to pot three goals in one outing since Alberto Bittan did so in a 4-2 win over Regis Sept. 17, 2016.  
• The hat trick is the first of the season for the Rams and first for Restrepo.
• Restrepo notched his first multiple point game of the season, scoring twice. The two-goal outing is the second of his career, with the sophomore recording multiple points for the third time throughout his time in blue-and-gold.
• Velez Angel found the back of the net for the first time this season and in his career.
• Young notched his first point as a Suffolk Ram with a handout to help Restrepo complete his hat trick.
• Suffolk handed Emerson its first loss of 2017.

POST-GAME PIC
 

COMING UP
Suffolk opens the GNAC portion of its slate Saturday, Sept. 9 when the Rams entertain Albertus Magnus at James A. Sartori Stadium at East Boston Memorial Park. The men's game will begin at 4 p.m. after the women's squad hosts the Falcons at 1 p.m.