Joey Graham picked up three goals on five shot attempts against the Geoducks on Saturday.
Concordia's Joey Graham Nets Second-Half Hat Trick in 3-1 Win Versus Evergreen
PORTLAND, Ore.– Behind three goals by senior forward Joey Graham, the Concordia University men’s soccer defeated The Evergreen State 3-1 in Cascade Collegiate Conference action on Saturday night.
With the win, Concordia improved to 7-4-1 on the year with a 4-1-0 mark in CCC play. Evergreen dropped to 2-8-0 overall and 1-4-0 in league competition.
After leaving the field at intermission with a scoreless match, Graham broke through for his first goal of the day after receiving the ball from teammate Facundo Dipascuale in the 54th minute, cracking a 15-yard shot from the left side and into the top right corner of the net.
Adding the important buffer score, Graham connected on an unassisted score in the 77th minute to provide the Cavs with a 2-0 lead.
The shot would prove to be the difference maker as Evergreen’s Corey Johnson found space on the left side of the field after being played in by fellow Geoduck Cody Wooden. Streaking down the field, Johnson settling the ball and fired from 18 yards with a shot over the head of Cavalier keeper Garret Staples.
Johnson would get a similar opportunity with eight minutes remaining, but Staples snuffed the attack with his fourth save of the day.
Leaving no doubt for an equalizer, Graham would produce his third goal of the day with 30 seconds remaining to provide Concordia with the 3-1 margin. Graham also had a hat trick on the road against the Geoducks last season in a 5-0 win on Sept. 13, 2007.
Concordia finished with a 14-to-7 advantage in shots over the Geoducks, doubling Evergreen’s total in each half with a 6-to-3 edge in the first and an 8-to-4 gap in the second.
Concordia returns to action on Oct. 8 at Northwest Christian with a 6 p.m. kickoff in Salem, Ore.