BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Sept. 30, 2014) - Junior forward Susanne Vistnes (Randaberg, Norway) recorded a hat trick Tuesday to propel the LIU Post women's soccer team to a 5-0 drubbing of Caldwell at Pioneer Soccer Park. The Pioneers (7-1) are now victors of seven consecutive matches and have outscored their opponents 20-2 in that span.

The green and gold got the first goal of the game in the 13th minute on a nifty touch from sophomore midfielder Sarah McGarry (Islip, N.Y.). The Pioneers were set up for a corner kick on the far sideline, their first of the match. Vistnes bent in a cross that was headed by senior back Lauren Bellone (West Islip, N.Y.) to a waiting McGarry, who netted the attempt past Caldwell goalie Kylie Whalen (Hazlet, N.J.). The tally was McGarry's first on the season and her second career goal in a Pioneer uniform. Unfortunately for the Cougars (3-4-2), LIU Post was not content to win by just one goal.

Vistnes would open her account with a goal in the 31st minute of play. After receiving the ball near the top of the 18-yard box from Bellone, Vistnes sped past a Caldwell defender and launched a shot that clanged off the near-side post and in. That was the end of scoring in the first half with the Pioneers up 2-0. In the 62nd minute, Vistnes struck again, this time off of an assist by McGarry. The Norway native received the pass from her teammate in stride, then maneuvered around Whalen easily and slotted the shot into the back of the net. 

Seven minutes later, Vistnes got her hat trick with a mesmerizing goal off an assist by freshman backer Shannon Walter (West Islip, N.Y.). With the Pioneers on the attack, Walter sent a left-footed kick up the near sideline towards the Caldwell defensive zone. A hard-charging Vistnes flicked the ball with her right foot over the reach of Whalen and across the goal line for her third goal and the team's fourth score on the afternoon.

The Pioneers would almost make it 5-0 as a shot by senior forward Morgan Kitton (Bellmore, N.Y.) rattled off the crossbar in the 78th minute. Kitton got another chance, however, in the 83rd minute, but she was pulled down in the penalty area, rewarding LIU Post with an opportunity to strike for the fifth time. Junior back Morgan Miller (West Nyack, N.Y.) stepped up to take the penalty kick, coolly placing it off the post and in to the right of Whalen, capping the scoring for the green and gold. The goal was Miller's second on the year.

Despite only scoring twice in the first half, LIU Post was the more dominant side in the opening 45 minutes of play. The Pioneers outshot Caldwell, 15-3, and won four corner kicks to the Cougars' one. The edge in shots went the way of the green and gold overall, as LIU Post took 24 total shots to Caldwell's 11. The Cougars did claim the advantage in corner kicks, sporting a 6-4 edge.

Vistnes led the team with seven shots, all of which were on goal. Bellone had five shots and was a constant nuisance to the Caldwell back line. In net for the Pioneers, sophomores Hreffie Agnarsdottir (Reykjavik, Iceland) and Felicia Orderud (Gothenburg, Sweden) combined for three saves and a clean sheet. Agnarsdottir recorded her fifth shutout on the campaign as the Pioneers blanked a third-consecutive opponent.

For Caldwell, Whalen made 11 saves in the losing effort.

Head Coach Mark Dawson and his team return to Pioneer Soccer Park on Saturday (Oct. 4), as they host Queens in East Coast Conference play. Kickoff is set for noon.