de Ruijter's Hat Trick Sparks Villanova in Win Over La Salle
9/19/2021
Conshohocken, Pa. - The Villanova Wildcats defeated the La Salle Explorers on Sunday afternoon, by a score of 6-3. Villanova improves to 4-4, while La Salle now sits at 4-4. The non-conference victory ends the two-game homestand for Villanova, finishing 2-0.
The Explorers struck first, at the 4:34 mark in the first quarter, placing Villanova at an 0-1 deficit. The Wildcats responded quickly, with two goals of their own. First, Amanda Middleman tied the game off a pass from Sabine de Ruijter, evening the score at 1-1. Minutes later, Caitlin Van Goeverden found the back of the goal, after deflecting a Meghan Mitchell shot past the Explorer goalkeeper.
To open the third quarter, La Salle came out firing, scoring two goals of their own, to put them up 3-2.
De Ruijter knew the Wildcats needed a spark, and a spark she provided. Three minutes after La Salle took the lead, the sophomore scored her first of three goals to tie the game. Anne Drabbe sent a ball in off a penalty corner to classmate Emma Schwarz, who fired a pass to a wide open de Ruijter.
With a deadlocked score at halftime, the 'Cats kept momentum going behind de Ruijter. She followed up her goal before the break with another, just six minutes into the frame. Off another penalty corner, de Ruijter fired off an initial shot that was blocked, however she corralled the rebound and fired off a shot that made it past the keeper.
As the fourth quarter opened, Villanova was awarded another penalty corner 24 seconds into the period. Jamie Pennington sent the corner in to de Ruitjer, who converted for her third goal of the match. The hat-trick marks a single game career high, topping her previous high of two, from last season.
Meghan Mitchell added another goal for Villanova late in the fourth quarter.
Claire Borman took over in goal shortly after halftime and did not allow a goal in 35:40 of action. She recorded two saves and the win.
