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Radford University Athletics

Home Of The RadFord Highlanders RadFord Highlanders
seniors
1
USC Upstate UPST (8-7, 3-4 Big South)
4
Winner Radford RAD (10-2-1, 6-1 BSC)
USC Upstate UPST
(8-7, 3-4 Big South)
1
Final
4
Radford RAD
(10-2-1, 6-1 BSC)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
USC Upstate UPST 0 1 1
Radford RAD 3 1 4

Game Recap: Women's Soccer |

CASAREZ’S HAT TRICK HIGHLIGHTS RADFORD’S 4-1 WIN ON SENIOR NIGHT



RADFORD, Va. – Senior Jasmine Casarez netted three goals in Radford's 4-1 win over USC Upstate on Saturday night at Cupp Stadium. The midfielder and her six classmates were honored prior to kickoff with a pre-game ceremony.
 
The evening was a special night for the senior class as they picked up their 34th win as a group since 2015. It was a spectacular night for Casarez as her three goals set a career-high. It was the first hat trick from a Highlander since 2015, when Amanda Philip scored three goals against Southern Virginia. With two goals scored in the first half, Casarez picked up her eighth multi-goal game in a Radford uniform and second of this year.
 
Just seven minutes into the match, Gabi Paupst put the Highlanders on the board. Nelia Perez, who was racing toward the goal, played the ball into the middle of the box. Casarez was there and tapped it to the open Paupst. The sophomore did the rest and fired the ball into the open right side of the net. The goal gave Radford a 1-0 lead and then it became the Casarez show.
 
Perez, once again, racing down the right side of the field lobbed the ball toward the net. The high-arcing pass found open space between a USC Upstate defender and Spartan goalkeeper Logan Pace. An attacking Casarez was in the right place at the right time and blasted it past Pace for the score. The goal gave the Highlanders a 2-0 advantage in the 26th minute.
 
Just seven minutes later in the 33rd minute, Reese Degnan stole the ball from a Spartan and found Casarez just outside the box in the middle of the field. Casarez finished the play by placing the ball into the back of the net. It was all Radford with a 3-0 lead at the end of the half.
 
The lead grew to four in the 46th minute, when Perez played in a beautiful ball just past the outstretched hand of Pace. The ball found Casarez, who was standing five feet from the goal, and she headed it into the net for her third tally of the night.
 
USC Upstate (8-7, 3-4 Big South) took 13 shots – nine in the second half.  One of them found the back of the net as Abbie Ellis notched her 13th goal of the season in the 73rd minute to cut it to 4-1. With the game well in hand, the Highlanders kept the pressure on and coasted to their 10th win of the season.
 
MOMENT THAT MATTERED
The first half was too much for the Spartans to overcome. Radford scored three goals and took 14 shots in the half for a 3-0 lead. The defense played well and held USC Upstate to four first half shots and only one landed on goal.
 
STAT OF THE MATCH
Aside from Casarez's impressive three goals, Perez had a hat trick in her own unique way with three assists. She set-up Paupst's marker and two of Casarez's goals. Perez recorded the third multi-assist performance of her career and set a career-high with three.
 
TWEETS OF THE MATCH  
QUOTABLE
"I thought we played really well tonight," Ben Sohrabi said. "To get three goals and move the ball the way we did in the first half really set the tone. It was  just a great game overall. We played five seniors most of the night tonight. They're good soccer players and even better people, who mean so much to this program. They're all fantastic leaders and I can't say enough about them. This is a truly special class."
 
UP NEXT
The first place Highlanders have three important matches remaining in the regular season. The first will be at Presbyterian on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.
 
FOLLOW WOMEN'S SOCCER ON SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on the Radford women's soccer team follow @RadfordWSOC on Twitter and Instagram or Radford Women's Soccer on Facebook.
 
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