Allen Notches Hat-trick to Pace Akron to 5-2 Home Opener Victory
AKRON, Ohio – Freshman forward Chloe Allen (Novi, Mich.) notched her first collegiate hat-trick to pace the offensive efforts for Akron as the Zips downed Robert Morris, 5-2, during the 2016 home opener at First Energy Stadium-Cub Cadet Field on Thursday night.
Senior forward Sarah Sivic (Broadview Heights, Ohio) tallied a pair of goals to go along with Allen's three scores on the night for the Zips. Allen's three-goal effort was the fourth hat-trick in Akron women's soccer history and the first since Leigh Cullen on Sept. 3, 2010.
Allen and Sivic propelled Akron's offensive attack with five and four shots, respectively. Nine other Zips' tallied a shot in the contest with five of those shots coming on frame.
In total, the Zips (3-3-0) out-shot the Colonials (0-6-0) 18-to-12 and 13-to-5 in shots on goal. Akron attempted seven corner kicks to Robert Morris' three. Jane Schleicher, Erin Ritzer, and Greer Monahan led the Colonials with three shots each.
Senior keeper Annabelle Hegeman (Frostburg, Md.) tallied 81 minutes of work in the contest while redshirt freshman Samara Yurchak (Leola, Pa.) closed the game in the final nine minutes. Hegeman ended the night with four saves, while Yurchak tallied one.
The scoring affair started in the 23' of play when sophomore Rachel Baughman (Alliance, Ohio) received a pass by senior Abby Gindlesberger (Canton, Ohio) down the right side of the box. The sophomore composed herself, gathered her footing on the slick grass and ripped a shot on goal that was deflected and went straight up in the air. When attempting to get into position to play the ball, the Zips were fouled in the box resulting in a penalty kick. Sivic stepped to the penalty mark and ripped a shot just out of reach of a diving RMU keeper.
Once again, the Colonials were called for a foul, this time a foot outside of the top of the box. Sivic again took position on the ball, sent a shot that split the wall of defenders, and skipped into left side of goal for her second goal of the contest.
Robert Morris countered Sivic's goal in the 25' of play. The Colonials were able to get past the Akron back line but freshman Amy Rogozinski (Westlake, Ohio) and Ashley Amato (Pittsburgh, Pa.) got back to disrupt the play. Despite the Akron effort, Schleicher was able to sneak a pass to Monahan who found the back of the net on the right side.
Allen took advantage of two big mistakes by the Colonials right before the end of the first period of play. In the 41', Allen corralled a ball that deflected off a Robert Morris defender and found herself wide open for the strike and goal. The forward followed her first goal up with her second at the 44:36 mark of the game. This time, Allen was wide open on the left side of the field after gathering in the ball after a turnover, and she beat the keeper to the left side of the net.
The Colonials cut into the Akron lead in the 68' of the second half. Schleicher received a pass right up the middle of the Akron defense from Maddison Duncan and scored on a break away goal.
