Montoya nets hat-trick, Howes scores two goals in win

2004 NCAA FINAL FOUR CELEBRATION

NORTON, Mass. – Wheaton College sophomore forward/midfielder Kaitlin Montoya (Placentia, Calif./Orange Lutheran) registered her second career hat-trick and senior midfielder/forward Kelsee Howes (Maynard, Mass./Maynard) also scored twice to lead the women's soccer team past Mount Holyoke, 5-0, in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) league action on Saturday afternoon at Mirrione Stadium.

At halftime of the game, the 2004 NCAA Final Four women's soccer team was honored for its outstanding season, which occurred ten seasons ago. The 2004 women's soccer team posted a 23-1-2 record, captured the NEWMAC Regular Season and Tournament titles and tied the NCAA all-divisions record with 22 shutouts in 26 games. Along with making the only appearance in the NCAA Final Four round in program history, the 2004 squad tied the program mark for most wins in a season and compiled the third best winning percentage at .923 in program history as well.

Montoya netted two goals in the first half at 20:20 and 36:08, respectively, while Howes added a tally at the 43:00 mark to close out a three-goal opening stanza for Wheaton. First-year back Aunyes Hermantin (Broken Arrow, Okla./Broken Arrow Senior) set up Montoya's game-opening strike with a cross into the box before Montoya volleyed her shot into the lower right corner of the net for her fifth goal of the season. Junior back/midfielder Julie Beyar (South Hempstead, N.Y./South Side) initiated Howes' first strike of the contest with a beautiful pass over the top of Mount Holyoke's back line from Wheaton's defensive end that Howes one-timed into the goal after the ball took a high bounce off the grass.

In the second half, Howes redirected a long cross from Hermantin into the far corner of the goal for her fourth tally of the year. Montoya completed the hat-trick at 72:13 with a strike off of a rebound after Mount Holyoke sophomore goalkeeper Zoe Marshall (Mississauga, Ont./Cawthra Park Secondary School) stopped senior Lauren Corigliano's (Roselle Park, N.J./Roselle Park) point-blank shot in the box.

Marshall made a career-high 16 saves in the loss surpassing her previous career best of 14, which she set on October 3, 2013 against Amherst College at home. Wheaton junior goalkeeper Ali Hinton (Lafayette, Colo./Alexander Dawson School) stopped two shots to move her record to 7-4-0 on the season.

Hinton now ranks seventh all-time in wins at Wheaton with a 20-5-0 record and tied for eighth in shutouts with nine total in 37 career games played.

Wheaton outshot Mount Holyoke, 34-4, in the matchup and also held a 7-1 differential in corners.

Wheaton (9-6-1, 3-3 NEWMAC) hosts Coast Guard Academy on Tuesday, October 21 at 3:30 p.m. Mount Holyoke (6-9-0, 2-5-0 NEWMAC) welcomes Springfield College to its campus next Tuesday at 6 p.m.

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