WEST CHESTER, Pa.- Kianna Barber (Browns Mills, N.J./BCIT) scored three goals in 47 minutes for her first career hat trick the first hat trick in an NCAA Tournament game in program history to lead the second-seeded West Chester University women's soccer team (14-2-4) to a dominant 5-2 victory over seventh-seeded West Virginia State (15-5-1) in the NCAA Tournament on Friday afternoon.
"This was a great team win," opened head coach
Betty Ann Kempf Townsley. "It feels great to score five. We were a little shaky early on, but we knew with our speed and finishing that if we could keep the ball in the attacking third a little more, we would be successful."
Barber's hat trick is not only the first NCAA Tournament hat trick in program history, but it is also the first in an NCAA Tournament game since Kaitlin Hinkle of UC-Colorado Springs scored three goals in a November 18, 2023, victory over Dallas Baptist.
"Kianna (Barber) is such a dangerous player," acknowledged Kempf Townsley. "She is strong, quick, and really good with the ball, but is also a great student of the game who really loves to study and watch high-level soccer, so I think that has helped in her development."
Victoria Pungello (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Memorial) also scored a pair of goals in the victory as West Chester set a new program record for goals in an NCAA Tournament game with five, surpassing the previous mark of four, which the team had first accomplished in 2006, scoring four goals in back-to-back games against Slippery Rock and IUP to open the Tournament.
With this victory, West Chester returns to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament once again and will face Fairmont State for the right to face the winner of the other Second Round matchup between Gannon and Shepherd on November 30 in the Atlantic Regional Championship match.
West Chester's speed was the difference maker on Friday afternoon, as despite being 2-2 late in the first half, the Golden Rams never trailed in what turned into a dominant victory to open the NCAA Tournament.
Asked about the second half defensive turnaround after allowing two goals in the first 40 minutes, Kempf Townsley said, "We knew we had to be a little cleaner in the defensive third, and we talked about it at halftime. Early on, we weren't always doing a great job of marking up, and we were chasing just a little bit, but knew that if we could clean that up, we would be fine."
Barber gave West Chester an early lead in the 15
th minute when she buried a rebound off a
Faith Matter (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) shot before Laura Pouderas beat a leaping
Grace Keen (Lincoln University, Pa./Avon Grove) just four minutes later to tie the match at 1-1.
In the 26
th minute, Barber found her way in behind the Yellow Jacket defense on a long pass over the top from Pungello, and the sophomore made the most of the chance, firing it over a charging WVSU keeper to give West Chester back a 2-1 lead.
In the 33rd minute, WVSU tied things up once more when Sharon Freire Omonigho shot from outside the box past a lunging Keen to tie the score at 2-2.
West Chester did not trail for long as Matter sent a ball deep, which Barber tracked down and crossed into the center of the box to a crashing Pungello, who buried the chance to give the Golden Rams a 3-2 lead at the half.
Barber doubled the lead just over a minute into the second half when Matter found the sophomore in space yet again for her historic third goal of the afternoon.
With a convincing 4-2 lead, West Chester could finally exhale a bit, and head coach
Betty Ann Kempf Townsley was able to turn to her bench late in the match, giving some of her starters a well-deserved breather before another battle on Sunday.
Before Kempf Townsley finished lifting a number of the Golden Rams in the starting XI, Pungello buried her second of the day when
Kate Alexander (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip) found her senior captain in space as the Golden Rams set a new program record for goals in an NCAA Tournament game.
"Being able to go our bench late was great," "Like everyone this time of year, we have some bumps and bruises, so it was great to be able to get some kids some rest. Getting young players some time is always great too because that is what helps us get back to this spot year after year."
West Chester ended the game with a 25-15 lead in shots and a 13-8 lead in shots on goal, although corners were tied at 3-3.
Poppy Bastock worked hard in goal for WVSU, making eight saves, while Keen made his six in the 5-2 victory.
Asked about the message to the team ahead of Sunday's game against Fairmont State, Kempf Townsley said, "Get ready. It's as simple as that this time of year. We are here, at home, and have another game against another good team. It's a new team for us, so it'll be a good challenge, but it's really exciting to get to win and keep playing here at home."
Up Next
West Chester will host Fairmont State on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. in the Atlantic Regional Semifinals on Rockwell Field. Saturday's game is thought to be the first ever meeting between West Chester and Fairmont State in women's soccer.
