Box Score Maryville College's Caleb Lucas found a "poker" on Tuesday night, as the senior forward notched four goals in a 6-0 USA South victory over Piedmont College.
Lucas becomes only the eighth player to score four or more goals in a match, as it ranks as only the 10th time in school history a Scot has matched that mark.
"It's always fun to score, but all the credit goes to my teammates," Lucas said. "They kept finding me over and over, and [Piedmont] gave me one, too. It's great to be in form and finish the way I want to."
Lucas' poker is the first such performance in nearly 10 years, as the last Scot to reach that mark was Evan Giordano, who scored four goals on Nov. 3, 2007 against Huntingdon.
Tuesday's four-goal outing is Lucas' third career hat trick. The senior sits tied for third, trailing only Quint Webster and Todd Tompkins who have four career three-goal games. Lucas accounts for the 47th hat trick in Maryville's soccer history.
"I play this game to score," Lucas said. "It's great to have a team that keeps finding me. It's working for us. Tim [Baker] got two tonight, and I think three assists. He and I are clicking, and the rest of the team is shooting on all cylinders. We're playing well."
Baker accounted for the other two goals in the match, as he was credited with assists on three of Lucas' scores on the afternoon.
"[Head Coach] Pepe [Fernandez] drills it in us, 'When you win the ball, look up and find Caleb or Tim," Lucas said. "Whenever we get the ball, we are looking for the goal or looking for each other. He's got the speed on the dribble, and somehow, he just knows where to dribble to open up the run for me."
Baker ties the Maryville College record for assists with his three, as only 11 other Scots have matched that performance in the 36-year history of the program.
The duo – Baker and Lucas – has led Maryville to a third-place rank within the Division III statistics, scoring 3.08 goals per match. MC's 9.9 points ranks eighth nationally, while their 38 total goals rank them fourth in the country.
Lucas ranks high nationally, as he is fifth in the country in shots and shots on goal. He is ninth in total points and 14th in assists. The senior is 16th in the country with his 14 goals on the season.
He has already surpassed his six assists from last season, as he now holds seven. He is one goal shy of last season's mark of 15, as the Scots have at least seven games left in the year.
The Scots earned the win on Tuesday, outshooting the Lions, 27-9. Maryville posted 18 shots on goal, while the Scots' defense held Piedmont to only one shot on goal on the night.
Maryville College struck first after outshooting the Lions, 12-3. The Scots tallied nine shots on goal, while MC defense held Piedmont away. The Lions could not find a shot on goal during the opening half.
Lucas struck first, opening play with a goal in the 24th minute of action. Lucas dribbled down the right side of the field, splitting two defenders in the box. The senior deposited the ball in the lower left side of the net for his 11th goal of the season, as it game Maryville a 1-0 lead.
Just 2:35 later, Lucas would strike again. He notched his 12th goal of the year with a blazing shot in the lower right of the net, after fellow senior Tim Baker found him from the top of the box. The Baker, Lucas combination gave Maryville a 2-0 lead.
With just 5:59 left in the first half, Baker would get into the scoring himself. Lucas looked for his third goal of the season, after breaking away from three defenders. He was tackled in the box, giving Maryville a penalty kick. Baker's sure touch hit the bottom right of the net. Baker is 4-for-5 on penalty kicks this season, as he gave the Scots a 3-0 lead going to the break.
During the 48th minute in the second half, the Scots saw Lucas accomplish his second hat trick in the past two weeks. Baker found him just in front of the box. Lucas dribbled to the middle, slipping a soft touch into the lower right of the net for a 4-0 lead.
Just 52 seconds later, Baker would find his second goal for a brace. Cody VanKerschaever – the only other Scot to score in the match besides Lucas and Baker – found the senior in the top of the box. Baker beat three defenders and hit and open net to the left to give Maryville a 5-0 lead.
Lucas would notch his 14th goal of the season and fourth of the match during the 63rd minute. Baker gave a high pass over the defenders from just in front of the box. The ball was deflected, as Lucas collected it and put it in the lower right of the net for the 6-0 win.
The Scots move to 9-2-0 on the season with a 5-1 record. They currently rank second in the USA South Athletic Conference, trailing only N.C. Wesleyan's 4-0 mark. The Scots have the most wins within conference action at the moment.
Maryville will take a step out of conference action tomorrow night, as the Scots host Roanoke College. First touch is slated for 6:30 p.m.
