BEAUMONT, Texas – Senior Kelso Peskin recorded a hat trick as Lamar University scored six unanswered goals to defeat Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 6-1, Sunday afternoon at the LU Soccer Complex. After surrendering the opening goal of the game, the Cardinals rallied for six unanswered to pick up their 11^th victory of the season.
 
"We weren't very pleased with our performance in the first half, but credit goes to A&M-Corpus Christi who came out aggressively. That goal we allowed in the first half woke us up a bit, and though we managed to tie it up at half time, 1-1, we felt like we weren't giving it our best," said LU head coach Steve Holeman. "We got on to them a little bit and reminded them of the standard we've set for ourselves and that we haven't met that standard in the first 45 minutes. In the second half we came out and played like we should play and you saw the result."
 
Different from the start Friday, the contest opened as a defensive struggle that saw A&M-Corpus Christi draw first blood. The Islanders got the scoreboard in the 21^st minute of the game when Dana Curtis took a pass from Reaghan Lang and a move to her right to get past the keeper to score the game's first goal.
 
The Islanders held the advantage for the next 15 minutes when sophomore Lucy Ashworth found the equalizer. After being batted around Ashworth took the ball in the middle of the field, turned, and then fired a shot past the goalkeeper to pull the Cards even at the 35:27 mark. The game was a stalemate for the remainder of the half.
 
The Cardinals claimed their first lead of the game eight minutes into the second half. Sophomore Madison Ledet found Ashworth on the left wing who fired a pass to a cutting Kelso Peskin who headed it in for her team-best eighth goal of the season. The Cardinals added to their lead with another Peskin goal 10 minutes later, her ninth of the year and 18th of her career.
 
The second half flurry continued with two more goals in the next eight minutes. The first from Ledet on a pass from Peskin, and the next from Peskin (her third). The Cardinals built an insurmountable lead and never let the Islanders back in the game. The final goal of the game came when Juliana Ocampo found a ball at her feet when Irene Saether's shot deflected off the cross bar. Saether and Ali Hebert got the double assist.
 
The Cardinals will close out the regular season Friday against rival McNeese. The game against the Cowgirls will begin at 7 p.m. from Lake Charles, La.
 
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