MERCED, Calif. – Trinidad Quiroz recorded a hat trick to lead the University of California, Merced women's soccer team to a 4-0 win over Park University Gilbert on Friday afternoon at Bobcat Field.
The Bobcats (9-2-0, 6-1) shutout was their eighth of the year, sixth in Cal Pac play. The Bobcats 6-1 record through seven Cal Pac games matches their best mark in program history.
Quiroz, whose hat trick was her second of the season, is currently ranked second in the nation with 15 total goals. She scored her first goal in the 22nd minute before completing her hat trick with two scores in the first seven minutes of the second half. With her efforts, she moved ahead of Claudia Diaz for third in program history with 33 career goals.
Her game-winning goal was scored from just inside the corner of the 18-yard box, burying her shot far corner over the leaping goalkeeper. Quiroz took two touches after being played the ball from Baleigh Zamudio.
Zamudio also set up Yesenia Tijerina in the second half for a two-assist outing.
Tijerina scored her goal and doubled the Bobcats lead in the 49th minute by tapping in a Zamudio cross. Zamudio dribbled approximately 30 yards down the field and pulled the keeper off her line before sending in the ground ball cross.
Tijerina's goal was her fourth of the year and it started a goal-scoring flurry for the Bobcats over the next five minutes.
Exactly one minute later, Quiroz extended the Bobcats lead to 3-0 with a banger from 25 yards out. The San Jose, Calif., native played with her defender before firing and hitting the far upper 90. Yareli Hernandez was credited with the assist.
Her hat trick was completed shortly after, officially coming in the 53rd minute to put her team up 4-0. Receiving the ball left half, Quiroz made her way to the opposite side and into the box before shaking off her defender and banking her shot off the far post and in.
Quiroz managed to get off six shots overall, placing four on frame and three into the back of the net.
UC Merced combined to outshoot Park Gilbert 21-4, 9-3 on target. Thirteen different Bobcats took at least one shot.
Medina took the first shot of the game for the Bobcats following a cross but her shot went high. Hernandez also had a first half opportunity that was kick saved by Buccaneers keeper Catherine Corlett.
Jadyn Gong made all three of her saves in the first half, including one on the Buccaneers leading goal scorer Emma Alvarez. She also saved a header off a corner kick earlier in the match and caught a line drive free kick right before the first half buzzer.
Her solo shutout was her seventh of the season to move into a four-way tie for first in the nation.
UC Merced held Park without a second half shot or corner kick.
Both teams earned two corner kicks in the first half.
UC Merced improved to 2-0 in the all-time series with Park Gilbert.
Looking ahead, UC Merced will have two weeks off of game action before playing at Soka University of America on Sunday, October 15. Kickoff from Aliso Viejo, Calif., is scheduled for 3:30pm.
