By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
First-half hat trick buoys Ripon
Placeholder Image

RIPON — A hat trick is always good, but a hat trick in the first half is even better.

Ripon’s Cindy Alvarez got three goals in the first 40 minutes Thursday as her Indians rolled to a 3-1 win over Hughson in Trans Valley League soccer action at Stouffer Field. 

“I was really focused in my warm-ups,” Alvarez said. “I knew this was a very physical team.

“Our coach has told us that every game is different so I tried getting focused and scoring as fast as I could and that’s what I did.”

Alvarez did score quickly, taking an assist from Megan Harlan in the third minute and converting it for a 1-0 Ripon lead. In the 27th minute Megan Johnson assisted the Indians sophomore to bump the score to 2-0 and with three minutes left Harlan and Alvarez combined again to complete the hat trick.

“I rely on my forwards a lot,” Harlan said. “I depend on them and know they will be up there for me. I just have to get them the ball and they do the rest.

“Cindy (Alvarez) is one of our forwards and I just know that nine times out of 10 if I get Cindy the ball she is going to finish it.”

Early in the second half Mackenzie Buck took a pass from Morgan Ehlers for the lone goal for the Huskies (3-3-1 TVL, 4-9-2 overall). 

Ripon (6-1, 13-5) took 14 shots and Hughson 11 with Indians goalie Courtney Slamon making seven saves.

One of the things that Ripon coach Jamie DeBruyn told his team was to expect a physical effort from the Huskies.

“This was a physical one,” DeBruyn said. “Hughson comes and bodies up well. I told the girls that if they hold the ball too much to expect to get a bump or a shoulder. They are a physical team and that’s how they play. 

“We started distributing the ball really well in the first half. She (Alvarez) put herself in good positions and her teammates dropped some beautiful passes to her. She was in the right place at the right time and she finished.”

The win keeps the Indians in first place, two points ahead of Modesto Christian (5-1-1).