Gomez's hat trick lifts Pirates past Rustlers, 5-0
COSTA MESA -- Sara Gomez took complete control of the offense and used a three-goal performance to spark the Orange Coast College women's soccer team to a 5-0 win over visiting Golden West on Friday.
Gomez, who led the Pirates with 10 shots for the game, picked up a single goal in the third minute off of a pass from Courtney Garrity. In the second half, she fought off a defender and a charging Rustler goalkeeper to score into an empty net in the 52nd minute, then capped off her hat trick in the 59th minute from a low pass by teammate Jessica Amaral.
Amaral, who leads the team in assists, managed to find the back of the net in the eighth minute after a strong play by Emma Pridmore, who fought off a defender before earning an assist with a nice pass.
Garrity capped off the scoring in the 89th minute when she ripped a header into the corner of the goal from a pass by Madeline Edwards.
It was a contest controlled by the Pirates (9-2, 5-2 in the Orange Empire Conference), who outshot the Rustlers (6-6, 4-3) 20-3 in the game.
Emily Harrier was left alone for most of the afternoon, but the freshman goalkeeper did notch two saves to pick up the shutout win.
GWC goalkeepers Miljana Jocic and Olivia Bedard each played 45 minutes and combined for 10 saves.
Orange Coast will begin the second round of OEC play at Santiago Canyon on Tuesday (3 p.m.) before returning to the OCC Soccer Complex on Friday against Cypress (3 p.m.).
