Wolf's Hat-Trick Leads Griffins Past Eureka

EUREKA, Ill.—Behind Nick Wolf's first collegiate hat-trick, the Fontbonne University men's soccer team picked up a 3-0 victory over Eureka to open conference play.

"We came out strong and created several chances early and just could not find the final touch," said head coach Donnie Alberty. "We have to work on continuing to create chances and then finishing them. We did a very good job of winning 50/50 balls today and if we can continue to win the ball and create chances, then we will be fine."

He continued, "It was nice to see Nick Wolf get some goals because he's an important piece for us and I'm happy for Drew Blair with his first collegiate clean sheet. He had a little bit of a rough night the last time out, so hopefully, this will help his confidence moving forward."

The Griffins (4-6; 1-0 SLIAC), totaled a season-high 34 shots in the win. Drew Blair, meanwhile, earned the shutout with a six-save performance.

Eureka (4-4; 0-1 SLIAC), compiled 11 shots and were paced by James Bowen's five. In net, Moises Aldana made seven saves.

In the first, after having a 6-1 shot advantage in the first 12:00 minutes, the Griffins got on the board for the first time in two games. At 12:58, Andres Castro found Wolf and he scored to give Fontbonne a 1-0 lead.

Despite owning a 19-4 advantage in the shot department, the Griffins held a 1-0 lead at the break.

In the second, it took Wolf just 42.0 seconds to score his fifth on the year and now the team was on top, 2-0.

The Griffins continued its offensive push throughout the second half. Then, in the 76^th minute, Wolf capped off his day with a hat-trick, his sixth on the year, off an assist from Charles Gibbs to make it a 3-0 final.

Fontbonne returns to the pitch next Tuesday night when they'll host Principia. Kick-off is set for 8 p.m.

Fans make sure to stay updated on fontbonnegriffins.com throughout the year for full updates and recaps on the men's soccer team.

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