MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – Melanie Cobb scored three first-half goals for her fourth hat trick of the season to lead Mount Olive to a 7-0 victory over Coker in Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference women’s soccer Wednesday at Trojan Field. Cobb, who ranks in the top 10 in the nation in goals and points per game, now has 20 goals on the season. 

Mount Olive (10-2-0 overall, 5-2-0 CVAC) held an 11-0 shot advantage midway through the first half, but the game remained scoreless until Cobb scored on a cross from Lauren Slattum in the 24th minute. The Trojans scored again six minutes later when a series of one-touch passes found its way to Emily Escolas, who drilled the ball in the back of the net to extend the lead to 2-0. Cobb added a pair of goals in the final nine minutes of the half to give the Trojans a 4-0 lead at halftime. Heidi Philip, who is tied for third in the nation in assists, assisted on Cobb’s second goal.

Gina Dos Santos scored a goal eight minutes into the second half and Slattum, who had two assists in the first half, added a goal in the 75th minute. April Jacobs closed out the scoring with 33 seconds left in the match. Mount Olive outshot Coker 33-3 for the match. 

Coker (0-7-2, 0-4-0) had its best scoring chances late in the second half, but Trojan goalkeeper Heather Ressler made a pair of saves to preserve her fifth shutout of the season to break a school single-season record. She had tied the record of four as a freshman in 2001.