Box Score (OWENSBORO, Ky., Oct. 21)- Freshman forward Alex Ridsdale (Nelson, New Zealand/Mount Albert) recorded his first collegiate hat trick in the first half on Sunday in leading the McKendree University men's soccer team to a 5-1 win at Kentucky Wesleyan College.

The Bearcats improved to 9-7 overall and 7-7 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference and will close out their regular season schedule on Wednesday, Oct. 24th at 7:30 p.m., when they host Bellarmine University. McKendree will also honor its seniors prior to the match as part of its senior day celebration.

McKendree wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, with Ridsdale scoring on an assist from sophomore defender Connor Cassiday in the third minute.

Ridsdale struck again in the ninth minute and put the Bearcats up 2-0 with a goal of an assist by sophomore forward C.J. Cerna (Collinsville, Ill./Collinsville).

McKendree took a 3-0 lead in the 36th minute on Ridsdale's third and final goal of the first half. The goal came on an assist by freshman forward Eddie Wilding (Felixstowe, Sussex, England/Doncaster College).

Ridsdale's hat trick was the first by a McKendree men's soccer player since Anthony Grant recorded one last season on October 20, 2011 against Missouri Baptist University.

Kentucky Wesleyan cut the deficit to 3-1 in the 42nd minute on an unassisted goal by Ryan Brewer to close out the first half scoring.

Junior midfielder Kavel Smith (Kingston, Jamaica/St. George’s College) scored two goals in the second half, with both coming off assists from Wilding. Smith's first goal was in the 55th minute, and his second came in the 66th minute, that put the Bearcats ahead 5-1.

Freshman goalkeeper Scott Armistead (Auckland, New Zealand/Saint Peter's College) played all 90 minutes in goal and had five saves in the victory.