Mearns Nets Hat Trick as Seasiders Open with Win

Mearns Nets Hat Trick as Seasiders Open with Win

Waipio, HI—Senior forward Emily Mearns scored three goals to lead the Brigham Young University Hawaii women’s soccer to a 4-0 win over Regis in the opening match of the season for both teams tonight.  The Seasiders dominated from the outset, holding the Rangers to just three shots for the evening while putting up 13 of their own to start the year 1-0.

Mearns, who led the Pacific West Conference in scoring last year, picked up right where she left off, netting a corner kick off the goalies hands with just over three minutes gone in the contest.  She scored again in the 26th minute from the right side off a crossing pass from Britt Edman to give BYU–Hawaii a 2-0 halftime lead.  In the second half Mearns took a long pass from Kami Strait, headed the ball forward and outraced the Ranger defenders to it before blasting it past the keeper for her hat trick.  A short time later, in the 69th minute, Edman powered a penalty kick home after being tripped on a breakaway for the final score of the night.

Strait led a strong Seasider defense that held Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference pre-season Player of the Year Marissa Davis to just a single shot and kept the Rangers out of the BYU–Hawaii end most of the game.  Freshman goalie Megan McCain came up with a pair of saves for the Seasiders to record a shutout in her first collegiate game.  Regis, coming off a 14-5-4 campaign last year, is picked to finish third this season in the RMAC.

BYU–Hawaii’s next game will be on Wednesday, September 8th against 17th-ranked Seattle Pacific in Waipio.  Game time is set for the non-conference contest at 7:00 pm.

Box Score