Seattle Sounders Women News Release -- www.sounderswomen.com
Friday, April 13, 2012
TUKWILA, Wash. – The Seattle Sounders Women took a second consecutive 5-0 victory as U.S. Women’s National Team standout Sydney Leroux scored a hat trick in a preseason exhibition against Seattle University on Friday night in front of a sellout crowd at the Starfire Sports Complex.
Leroux played a strong match in the Sounders Women’s preseason opener on Monday night against Seattle Pacific University, but could not notch a goal. Four days later she burst open the flood gates by scoring in the 38th, 41st, and 86th minutes.
The first 30 minutes of Friday night’s game were fairly timid as both teams struggled to generate clear-cut chances. That all changed in the 38th minute on a Sounders corner kick. Sounders midfielder Kara Kuttler, who sits ninth on Seattle University’s all-time scoring list, clipped in a corner kick to the back side of the six yard box. Kate Deines won the header and it eventually fell to Leroux’s feet, allowing the 21-year-old to strike first-time and open the scoring.
Just three minutes after her first goal for the Sounders Women, the U.S. National Team forward scored a second. This time Leroux found herself in space in the left channel. She drove with the ball toward the top of the box and unleashed a right-footed blast that Seattle U. goalkeeper, Brittany Lott, couldn’t reach.
“I heard Steph [Cox] yell from behind, my national team teammate, and she said to go at her,” Leroux said. “I thought, yeah, I haven’t really done that yet so I took her on and then another and it opened up. I got a good strike and it went in. It was great.”
The first half ended with style as Keelin Winters scored off a scramble in the box. Winters had just returned to Seattle the night before, after traveling to Germany to discuss signing with a professional German side.
“I just got back from Germany last night at 9 p.m. So I’m a little jet lagged, but I called up Frenchie right away and said I wanted to play.” Winters said after the match. “She was all in so it was great.”
The second half was more of the same. A number of substitutions took a little while to gel for the Sounders, but eventually the goals came. Veronica Perez, as she had on Monday night, scored on a long shot from the edge of the penalty area in the 70th minute after a nice exchange in the midfield with Winters. The ball eventually came back in from the left side and a few quick touches were all Perez needed to unleash the effort into the right corner of the net.
Leroux then capped off a great night with her hat trick in the 86th minute. Second-half substitute, M’ily Reiter lofted a ball in from the right wing, and Leroux had a few defenders to out-jump. Once she elevated near the penalty spot, she needed a flick of the head to redirect the ball in to the bottom left post.
The Sounders Women take their plus-10 goal differential into one last exhibition match on May 4 when they will host the University of Washington. Highlights from Friday’s game, tickets and information on upcoming events are all available at SoundersWomen.com, while a complete video replay of Friday’s match will be available on USLlive.com.