Aug. 28, 2011
AUBURN, Ala. - Tatiana Coleman collected a hat trick and Chandler Hillen and the Auburn defense posted its first shutout of the season as Auburn rolled past Kennesaw State, 4-0, on Sunday night at the Auburn Soccer Complex. Coleman's hat trick was the first for Auburn since 2008 and just the 11th in school history.
"For anyone to get a hat trick is a great achievement. For Tatiana to do it in the third game of her career is so exciting for what she can do at this level and how thrilling of a career that she is going to have," Auburn Head Coach Karen Hoppa said. "
Coleman scored once in the first half and twice in the second half as Auburn (2-1-0) dominated Kennesaw State (2-2-0) from the first whistle. Her first goal came just under six minutes into the game when Katy Frierson put a through ball into the box, which Coleman buried from inside the six for her first goal of the season.
"I was kind of hanging in the back, waiting for the ball to come through and the keeper just tipped it and it went past Mary Coffed. I finished it with my left foot, which isn't my strong foot, so I was pretty excited about that," Coleman said.
Coleman was quick off the whistle again in the second half as she slid one between Kennesaw State goalkeeper Mel Hutto and the post just 38 seconds into the frame.
Coleman capped off Auburn's first hat trick since Kara Kasten's three-goal game at Mississippi State on Oct. 5, 2008, when she found herself alone at the top of the six and again buried it in the 69th minute.
"We went into the second half with a different formation and I was the only one up (top) and the coaches told me to worry about the two center defenders and the goalie," Coleman said. "I pressured the goalie as much as I could and I kind of read what she was doing."
While Coleman scored three times, Frierson netted her first goal of the season in the 40th minute as she slid a shot from the top corner of the 18 through the defense and between Ashley Kotero's legs that gave Auburn a 2-0 lead going into halftime.
Frierson's goal was the 23rd of her career while her assist on Coleman's first goal was the 30th of her career. She is now tied with Kellie Evans for second all-time at Auburn in career assists, just four behind school record holder Maggie Cauley's 34.
Hillen faced just eight shots on the night, only two of which went on frame, while Auburn posted 22 total shots, putting 12 on goal.
"This is my first year starting and it feels real good to get my first shutout," Hillen said. "Our defense played really well and we came real close on Friday and we didn't get it so it feels good to accomplish it tonight."
Auburn returns to the field on Friday at 7pm when it plays host to No. 10 Duke at the Auburn Soccer Complex. The match is the second of two that day as Ole Miss faces Kennesaw State at 4:30.
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