Pearson’s Hat Trick Propels Highlanders to Season-Opening Win Over Concord

Thursday, August 13

Radford, Va.

7:00 PM

Radford University

1-0-0, 0-0-0

Concord

0-1-0, 0-0-0

Team	1	2	Final F
Concord	0	0	0
Radford	1	2	3

Photo by: Matthew Maldonado

Pearson’s Hat Trick Propels Highlanders to Season-Opening Win Over Concord

8/13/2026 10:03:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

RADFORD, Va. – On a muggy night near the banks of the New River, the Radford Highlanders women's soccer team started their season off on the right foot with a 3-0 triumph over Concord on Thursday at Cupp Stadium.

KEY STATS

Brooke Pearson secured the hat trick, scoring all three of Radford's goals in the contest. It's the junior transfer from New Hampshire's first career collegiate hat trick.
The hat trick is also the earliest in the calendar year for Radford in the fall. It's also the first time a Highlander scored a hat trick in the season opener since Sahar Aflaki did so on Aug. 21, 2010, vs. Southern Virginia (8-0 win).
The Highlanders totaled 18 shots and nine shots on goal in the contest while holding Concord to six shot attempts and just three on goal.
After missing last season due to injury, junior Lilly Clayton added an assist. It was her first assist as a Highlander.
Seniors Ava Kertgate and Magda Carpenter paired up to assist Pearson for the second goal of the contest.
Senior goalkeeper Lexi Radvanyi handled three shots on goal easily, playing all 90 minutes.
Radford improves to 6-1 all time in non-exhibition games against the Mountain Lions.

PLAY BY PLAY
Out of the gates, it appeared to be a slow start for both sides. Concord managed to poke the possession away several times and took the first shot on goal in the 12th minute. Senior defender Caitlyn Nottingham attempted to get her teammates to stay aggressive, with the center back moving all the way up the field to take the Highlanders' first shot on goal a few minutes later. The Mountain Lions also earned the first corner kick of the match but failed to get any sort of attempt from it.

With 25 minutes left before half, Radford Head Coach Ben Sohrabi made his first subs of the game with Pearson and Mallory Harmison entering. Pearson got a chance to make an impact right away, as Clayton swiped a Concord pass and found Pearson at the top of the penalty area undefended. The junior powered a shot with her right foot past the Concord goalkeeper for Radford's first goal of the campaign.

Having a 1-0 lead, the Highlanders turned up the pressure to end the first half. Pearson nearly found the back of the net again the closing seconds, but a save by Concord's goalkeeper kept it a one-goal game into halftime.

It took just a couple minutes into the second half before the Highlanders extended the cushion to two goals. A great feed by Clayton got the ball to Ava Kertgate, and the senior got it to Magda Carpenter out wide. Carpenter's cross was perfect for Pearson, whose header gave her a second goal in her Radford debut.

A few moments later, Carpenter crossed another ball that appeared to be fended away by the Mountain Lions. However, an errant pass by the maroon gave Pearson an opportunity that she did not miss, scoring from inside the six-yard box to secure the hat trick with still over 41 minutes left in the second half.

Radford played controlling soccer to wind down the clock, giving a chance for a total of nine substitutes to enter the contest. Outside of Radvanyi, nobody else played the full 90 minutes for the Highlanders. A shot by Ryane Devlin in the final minute was saved by Concord, locking in the final to a 3-0 score.

SOHRABI QUOTABLE
"It was a great start to the season," Sohrabi said postgame. "I thought in the first half, we were a little bit vanilla. Just weren't sharp. Had a talk with them at halftime, and they responded. I thought we did better in the back. I thought we controlled the midfield. And we were more dangerous up top and finished a few goals. It's a good start. Still a lot to get better with. And we look forward to Charlotte."

PEARSON ON THE HAT TRICK
"I don't think I've had one (a hat trick) before," Pearson said after the game. "(When I entered), we deserved to be up 2-0 and I was just happy to contribute to the team and get the first one. Because when we got the first one, they just kept coming in the second half. (On the third one), it was coming in really hard and I just took a touch and then I had the defender beat for the tap in. So, once I had three, I was like, 'wow'. I was very happy."

UP NEXT
Radford is right back in action this weekend, hosting Charlotte in a tough early non-conference contest. The match is set to begin at 5:00 p.m. at Cupp Stadium and will stream live on ESPN+.

STAY SOCIAL WITH RADFORD WOMEN'S SOCCER
For all the latest on Radford women's soccer, be sure to follow the team on X (@RadfordWSOC), Instagram (@radfordwsoc), and "like" the team's official Facebook Page (Radford Women's Soccer).

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