WEST HAVEN, Conn. – Sarah Palko netted a first-half hat trick to lift the University of Saint Joseph over the Suffolk women's soccer team, 6-1, in a GNAC tilt on USJ Soccer Field Saturday afternoon.

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 1, Saint Joseph (Conn.) 6
RECORDS: Suffolk (4-5-0, 3-4-0 GNAC) | St. Joseph (Conn.) (8-3-1, 6-2-0 GNAC) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
Palko registered her first of three goals on the afternoon in the 15th minute. Jessica Spezzano drove up the right wing and played a cross into the box that caromed off a Suffolk defender and fell at the feet of Palko, who would finish into the top-right corner of the goal to give USJ the early 1-0 advantage. The Blue Jays would strike against quickly to push their lead to 2-0 at the 17:25 mark. This time it was Spezzano who found the back of the net after midfielder Amanda Ghent played a perfect long ball up the center of the field. Spezzano ran down the pass and beat Suffolk's keeper into the top-left corner.

The Blue Jays would build a 3-0 lead after the second goal of the match from Palko in the 28th minute. A USJ throw-in to junior Morgan Skoly up the right wing led to another perfect cross that found a charging Palko who sent a shot across frame into the side netting for the goal.

Suffolk got one back on the sixth goal of the season from senior Alexandra Nagri to climb within 3-1 at the 34:23 timestamp. A beautifully played long ball by classmate Paola Ortez found Nagri behind USJ's back four. Nagri settled the pass and beat sophomore keeper Megan Ricci one-on-one into the lower right corner.

Palko capped off her first-half hat trick with just under five minutes to play before the break to increase the Blue Jays lead back to three, 4-1. Senior Nicole Aquillo dove up the center of the field and used a perfectly touched through ball to find Palko inside the box on the left side and her one-touch shot scooted past the diving Rams keeper at 40:24 mark.

The Blue Jays continued to control possession in the second half and limited the amount of Suffolk chances to maintain their lead. The would extend the advantage to 5-1 on the second goal of the match from Spezzano. A throw-in from freshman Alyssa Fecko in the 61st minute found Spezzano with space who unleashed an absolute missile of a strike to beat Suffolk's sophomore goalie Julie Fieldsend from 40-yards out.

Ghent completed the scoring for USJ in the 88th minute with her team-best 11th goal of the season to account for the 6-1 final. Junior Jenai Davis recorded her first career assist after battling on the Suffolk endline for the ball and then feeding a pass back to Ghent just inside the 18-yard box. Ghent's shot curled over the keeper and into the side netting.

KEEPING UP THE WITH KEEPERS

• Fieldsend and Ricci each made five stops in between the pipes for their respective teams. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• The Blue Jays outshot the Rams 22-11 in the match, including 11-7 in shots on goal.
• Each team created four corner kick opportunities.

NOTEWORTHY

• Nagri extended her point streak to three straight contests. Over the last three games, the senior captain has produced 11 points off five goals and one assist.

POST-GAME PIC

COMING UP
Suffolk returns to James A. Sartori Stadium at East Boston Memorial Park Wednesday, Oct. 11 for a midweek matchup versus Johnson & Wales. First kick is set for 7 p.m.