Matt Gutsch, Golden Bears and Pandas Athletics
EDMONTON – Ajeej Sarkaria scored a hat trick to lead the University of Alberta Golden Bears to their third consecutive win, this one a 4-2 decision over the visiting Winnipeg Wesmen on Saturday afternoon at Foote Field.
A rookie in CIS men's soccer, Sarkaria scored the first, second and third goals of his young career to pace the Golden Bears attack, and what's more is that he drew the only assist on Alberta's fourth goal of the game as well. Fourth-year striker Tolu Esan was the benefactor of Sarkaria's touch for the home side's fourth goal, but Esan made his name in this game as well, setting up two of Sarkaria's goals to finish with three points as two players combined for a seven point afternoon.
With the win, Alberta improves to 3-0-0 on the season, and the Bears have now scored six goals in three conference games in 2016. They led Canada West in scoring one season ago, notching 34 goals in 12 matches and are now averaging two goals per game this season.
Winnipeg, meanwhile, remains winless on the season so far, falling to 0-2-1. The Wesmen were beaten 3-1 in their season opener by Lethbridge last week in Winnipeg before drawing 1-1 the next day against the Pronghorns.
Alberta opened the match in convincing fashion on Saturday when Sarkaria collected Esan's pass just inside the Wesmen 18-yard box and deftly stroked the ball past fifth-year keeper Joshua Partaker for the game's first goal, just two minutes into the contest.
The Bears continued to apply the pressure, and maintain possession of the ball for the majority of the first half, and were rewarded again in the 35 minute when Sarakaria buried his second of the game, this time off a feed from Armaan Bhinder.
Winnipeg, despite trailing in possession, would strike for a goal before the half was over. Freshman striker William Brown managed to slip behind central defender Tim Hickson and move towards the Alberta goal, but before he could enter the 18-yard box, Hickson fouled Brown, drawing a yellow card, and the Wesmen were set up with a free-kick from 20 yards out. Sophomore Aaron Hidalgo-Mazzei curled his attempt around the Alberta wall, and into the low right hand corner, powering it through Connor James' save attempt, to make the score 2-1 for Alberta just seconds before the half-time whistle.
The Golden Bears would restore their two goal cushion just one minute into the second half, however, as Sarkaria collected the hat trick goal with a low curling shot into the bottom right corner, off a feed from Esan, in the 46th minute.
Esan would then bank his first of the season, and fourth point on the year, to put Alberta in front 4-1 in the 82nd minute.
The visiting Wesmen would not give up without a fight, and in the 86th minute were awarded a penalty kick after the Bears were charged with a yellow card foul, in the box, on a Wesmen free kick attempt. Substitute Enrique Garcea, one the leading Wesmen goal scorers from last season, stepped up to the penalty attempt, and confidently buried the shot into the bottom left post for the 4-2 finish.
The Bears and Wesmen will clash again on Sunday at Foote Field, with kick-off scheduled for 2:15 p.m. MT.