KINGS POINT, N.Y. (Oct. 18, 2022) – The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy women's soccer team delivered a daily double of hat-tricks tonight at Bartoszek Field. On the strength of three goals apiece from senior Cassidy Jester (Denton, Texas) and sophomore Jinae Teria (Chalan Pago, Guam) the Mariners took down the visiting Purchase Panthers, 6-0. The win improved USMMA's overall record to 8-5-1 (3-5-1 Skyline), while Purchase's record dropped to 5-8 (2-7 Skyline) after the setback.
 
Game Links

• Box Score
• WATCH: Postgame Interview With Senior Cassidy Jester 

Merchant Marine was on their game for a full 90 minutes in this one. Every one-on-one possession battle was won by the Mariners in the first half, leading to several high-quality scoring chances. While Jester and Teria combined for all six goals tonight, they also teamed up for the first goal of the evening.
 
A brilliant pass by sophomore Natalia Gallardo (El Paso, Texas) hit Jester on the run who dished the ball to Teria. Teria snuck in the back door for the tap in goal to put USMMA up 1-0 at the 3:57 mark. Teria's goal-scoring streak is now up to three games and the Mariners' offensive barrage was just getting started.
 
Jester, who had just missed on three breakaway opportunities early in the half, flipped the script by quickly turning three misses into three goals. The natural hat trick was the first three-goal game of Jester's career, who had come close to accomplishing the feat with two two-goal games earlier this season. Both her first and second goals were off of great corner kicks by senior Jessica Gamsjager (Denton, Texas).
 
Not only did Jester notch a natural hat trick, but it only took the Mariners' captain 13 minutes and 14 seconds to find the twine three times. In a blink it was 4-0 Mariners, and they were not done in the opening frame just yet.
 
Coming off her first career goal on Saturday, freshman Marina Ronzoni (Riverhead, N.Y.) hit Teria in stride with a beautiful ball in the 44th minute. In on goal, Teria made no mistake and buried her second tally of the match to push Merchant Marine's lead to 5-0 heading into halftime. Ronzoni also assisted on Jester's second goal.
 
While the offense grabbed all the headlines, the Mariners defensively did not allow a shot on goal in the opening 45 minutes.
 
The second half was a polar opposite of the first. Purchase slowed down the Mariners' offense and kept the score at 5-0. A goalkeeper switch for the Panthers to freshman Carolyn Hough might have been the difference, as Hough finished the half with seven saves on eight shots on goal.
 
USMMA sophomore goalkeeper Margaret Ripperger (McKinney, Texas) made her two saves of the night in the latter part of the half to secure her fourth shutout of the season.
 
As the clock ticked under 90 seconds remaining, Teria and her teammates were still eyeing that hat-trick goal. After freshman Emma Cox (Huntingtown, Md.) sent the ball towards the net, Teria got off a first shot that was saved and then whacked away at the rebound to jam home the goal that completed her first career hat-trick. A night that saw the Mariners put forth a dominant effort featured a rewarding ending for Teria, who has filled in very nicely at the forward position.
 
USMMA now turns their attention to their biggest test of the season on Saturday night, Oct. 22. The Mariners will head to Fleming Field in Yonkers, N.Y., to take on the Sarah Lawrence Gryphons who have yet to lose a Skyline contest. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. Any live links for the game will be posted on the USMMA Women's Soccer Schedule Page or on our social media sites (links below).
 
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