Picard's Hat Trick Powers Women's Soccer Past Mitchell, 6-0, Wednesday Afternoon

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) women's soccer team earned a dominant 6-0 victory over the Mitchell College Mariners on the road Wednesday afternoon during Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play at Alumni Field in New London, Conn. With the victory, the Blue Jays improved to 5-9-1 on the year and 5-5-1 in GNAC, while the Mariners dropped to 2-11-0 overall and 0-11-0 in the conference.

USJ wasted no time setting the tone, striking just one minute into the match and never looking back. Graduate forward Elizabeth Garlock (Meriden, Conn.) ignited the Blue Jays' offense with an unassisted goal to open the scoring, as USJ went on to tally three goals in each half en route to a dominant victory.

Senior forward Alana Picard (Windsor Locks, Conn.) kept the momentum rolling for the Blue Jays, finding the back of the net for her first of three goals on the afternoon to double the USJ lead. The pressure continued to mount, and an own goal by the Mariners pushed the advantage to 3-0 heading into halftime.

Just 2:10 into the second half, senior forward Christina Quitoni (Patchogue, N.Y.) buried her third goal of the season off a setup from Garlock, extending the Blue Jays' advantage to 4-0. In the 70th minute, Picard struck again, capitalizing on a feed from junior forward Samantha Sacco (Westerly, R.I.) to put USJ firmly in control, 5-0. Picard completed her hat trick — her second of the season — in the 83rd minute with an unassisted tally to round out the scoring and seal a commanding 6-0 victory for the Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays dominated statistically, outshooting the Mariners 27-12, including a 15-6 edge in shots on target. USJ also held an 8-4 advantage in corner kicks.

Sophomore goalkeeper Erika Horne (Killingly, Conn.) stood tall between the posts, stopping all six shots she faced to record the shutout victory for the Blue Jays.

UP NEXT

The Blue Jays return home for Senior Day on Saturday, Oct. 25, when they host Saint Joseph's College of Maine in a GNAC matchup. Kickoff between the Blue Jays and Monks is set for 2:30 p.m. at the USJ Soccer Field in West Hartford, Conn.

Follow USJ Athletics
For the latest on University of Saint Joseph Athletics, follow the Blue Jays on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Fans can also download the USJ Front Row Mobile App and subscribe to our Newsletter and Text Alerts. #FearTheFlock #GoBlueJays