Box Score
(LEBANON, Ill., September 4)- Freshman forward Anthony Grant (Kingston, Jamaica, Jamaica College) recorded his first collegiate hat trick on Sunday afternoon to help lead the McKendree University men's soccer team to a 5-1 victory of Avila University.

The Bearcats improved to 2-0 overall and will face a tough test at NAIA No. 4 Vanguard University on Thursday, September 6 p.m. PST. McKendree will also face Westmont College on Saturday, September 8 at 1:30 p.m. PST.

Grant put McKendree in the lead in the sixth minute after taking a pass from senior midfielder Kameron Young (Mascoutah, Ill., Mascoutah) and putting it past the Eagles keeper to make the score 1-0. In the 27th minute, senior defender Pat Jones (St. Louis, Mo., Mehlville) sent a cross from the left wing into the box and Grant headed in his second goal of the game to put the Bearcats in front 2-0.

Shortly into the second half, senior defender Sam James (Southampton. England, Tauntons) hit a rocket from the left wing that sailed past the outstretched goalkeeper to the back-right corner of the goal to give McKendree a 3-0 lead in the 47th minute. Avila made the score 3-1 in the 72nd minute on an unassisted goal by Tyler Nichol, but Grant scored his third and final goal of the game in the 75th minute unassisted to give the Bearcats a 4-1 advantage. Freshman forward C.J. Cerna (Collinsville, Ill., Collinsville) took a pass from sophomore midfielder Blessing Tupiri (Harare, Zimbabwe, Falcon College) and scored his first collegiate goal with 23-seconds to play to give McKendree the 5-1 win.

Senior goalkeeper Joe Sagar (Oldham, England, Hulme) had one save and improved to 2-0 on the season with the victory.