By Andrew Wilson (WV News)
BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. (WV News) — Ask Bridgeport’s Allie Callahan how many multi-goal scoring games she has had this season and the answer is simple: she has lost count.
“I don’t know,” Callahan said. “I’ve scored five (goals in a game) before. I don’t know how many times I’ve scored three (goals). I have no idea.”
It’s been that kind of year for her, a season that she has scored multiple goals in a game multiple times.
And Thursday’s game versus University was the latest example, as Callahan’s hat trick led Bridgeport to its 3-0 victory over University at Wayne Jamison Field.
Her three goals were part of the 10 shots on goal that the Indians took compared to none by the Hawks.
“They have a lot of very skilled players who have played together for a while and I think that really shows on the field,” University coach Graham Peace said. “They’re a very calm and composed team — a lot of club players, that makes a difference. They’re very technical, but they’re a superb team to watch that’s built over the years. And they’re well coached, very well coached.”
The Indians, which controlled possession for most of the game, broke the scoreless tie at the 15-minute mark on Callahan’s shot from the middle of the box.
“She had a great game,” Bridgeport coach Olivia Arbogast said of Callahan. “It was a slow start, but once she found it and got it working, she was dribbling right through the defense and taking off. We love to see her being calm and finishing those.”
The Indians also took two of their three corner kicks in the first half. The Hawks didn’t take any in either half.
Each of Callahan’s next two goals came in the second half, and she scored each of them on a rebound off of a previously-taken shot.
At the 50-minute mark, Maria Day fired a shot from the box that was saved by Ila Roberts, but deflected off of her hands and to the foot of Callahan, who finished inside the left post.
Five minutes later, it happened again. Roberts saved a shot from Day, but once again, the shot, after being saved, rolled to the foot of Callahan, who secured her hat trick with her third goal.
“Honestly, Maria, those two goals were both (a result of her effort),” Callahan said. “She did all the work for those two; I just happened to be at the right place at the right time. Their back line was fast, so playing the one-touch pass was always on wide.”
The Indians took six of their 10 shots on goal in the second half.
“Just passing, keeping it moving,” Arbogast said of the Indians’ ability to maintain possession as well as they did. “Luckily, this team, we were able to keep possession and move stuff around. But like I said, it probably should have been a little higher, but we couldn’t get the ball off at first.
“Their goal was to keep us from scoring and keep us in the sectionals, so they were piling in and we had trouble figuring out how to get through them and how to get the ball moving around them to get shots off. It took us a little bit, but we finally figured it out.”
Roberts, the University goalkeeper, saved seven shots.
“She’s never played goalie before,” Peace said of Roberts. “This is her first season and she had been a rock back there for us. She did extremely well.”
Now that the regular season has concluded for the Indians, they will be the No. 1 seed in sectional play next week.
The Hawks have one more regular season game against Grafton at 9 a.m. Saturday at University.
