MERCED, Calif. - Three Bobcats recorded a hat-trick and the Bobcats earned their second largest win in program history with a 15-0 shutout over Cal Maritime Friday night on Bobcat Field.
Friday night was also Senior Night and the Bobcats (6-5-1, 4-0) senior class accounted for ten of the 15 goals to improve the Bobcats to 4-0 in Cal Pac play for the second consecutive season.
Four of the seven Bobcat seniors recorded a multi-goal game. Jenn Salinger and D Covarrubias notched hat-tricks, while Kimberly Garcia and Nadia Maldonado each scored twice.
Salinger's hat-trick was her program-best fifth of her career, second of the season. She scored two goals midway through the first half before completing her hat-trick in the 64th minute. Salinger is the only Bobcat in program history with multiple hat-tricks in a season. Already the program's all-time scoring leader, Salinger also eclipsed the 100 career-point mark in the victory. Salinger also recorded an assist and now has her eyes set on breaking the program's single-season points record which is currently held by Emily Burnett (37 points in 2018). Salinger currently has 29 points, which leads the California Pacific Conference and the entire West Coast.
Covarrubias' hat-trick was the first of her career and she becomes the tenth different Bobcat all-time to accomplish that feat. However, she is one of just three Bobcats to record a hat-trick in the first half. Covarrubias opened the games scoring with the game-winning goal in the eleventh minute, doubled the Bobcats lead in the 23rd and put the Bobcats up 3-0 with her third goal of the night in the 24th minute. With her hat-trick, Covarrubias passed Veronica Villacorta and Elizabeth Cruz-Gomez for sixth in program history with 55 career points. She also passed Bridget Villanueva for eighth in the record books with 111 career shots.
All three goals of Isabella Spiva's hat-trick came in the first 20 minutes of the second half (46', 52', 63'). It was her third career hat-trick, joining just Salinger and Claudia Diaz as the only Bobcats all-time with at least three career hat-tricks. All three of her hat-tricks have come against Cal Pac opponents, something in which only Salinger has accomplished. In addition, Spiva recorded two assists on Friday night to lead all players with eight points. She is just the fifth player in program history to record eight or more points in a single-game.
Jocelyne Garcia continued the UC Merced history in the win as she delivered a career-high three assists to break the program's all-time record with 18 career assists. Prior to Garcia breaking the record, four different Bobcats shared program-high with 16 assists. Two of Garcia's assists were to Covarrubias, while the third was to Kim Garcia off a corner kick.
Stephanie Medina also had a career-high three assists, all coming in the second half. Medina and Joc. Garcia are the sixth and seventh players in program history with at least three assists in a match.
Kim Garcia (35', 39') and Maldonado (65', 82') each notched their first multi-goal game of their career. The two were also credited with an assist.
Maldonado, Clarissa Picasso and Gabby Gustafsson all earned their first career start.
The Bobcats 15-0 win was the seventh double figure win all-time, fifth in Cal Pac play. The Bobcats have won by double figures four years in a row and their latest win was their biggest winning margin since a 17-0 victory over Cal Maritime on September 27, 2018.
Head coach Hannah Brown's team's 45 shots on goal and 16 assists this time around were both program-high's.
The Bobcats allowed just one shot and earned their first shutout of the season. Veronica Vazquez and Jadyn Gong split time between the posts with Vazquez earning the start.
Other notables include two assists and a goal from Haylee Heffner, a goal and an assist from Madison Whitney, and an assist each from Trinity Dunbar and Kyla Dolorfino. Heffner's two assists marked a career-high, as did Whitney's three points.
Dunbar's assist was the first of her career.
Looking ahead, the Bobcats host Sierra Nevada University on Friday, October 29. First touch from Bobcat Field is scheduled for 1:00pm.
