RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- Through the first 3 games of the 2009 season, Azusa Pacific women's soccer head coach Jason Surrell had to be pleased with his team's balance, featuring 8 different players with goals. But it was the one who hadn't yet scored that began creeping into his mind, senior Theresa Broad, who scored at least 20 goals in each of her first 3 collegiate campaigns and needed another 20-goal effort in 2009 to tie the program's career scoring record.

Broad's season shutout came to a quick and decisive end Saturday afternoon in the NAIA's No. 4-ranked Cougars' 6-0 win over Trinity International (Ill.) at the California Baptist University Tournament in Riverside. The 5-foot-8 forward tallied a hat trick in the first half, then added both of Azusa Pacific's second-half goals for a 5-goal outburst that matched the program's single-game scoring mark set in 2001 by Chrissy Sanford. She also took a giant chunk out of the 20-goal difference between her own career scoring total entering Saturday and Kendra Payne's career program mark of 90 goals.

"I don't know if I would have called it concern just yet, but you definitely want her to feel comfortable around the goal," Surrell said. "We found a weakness today in the back, and she exploited it."

The victory also carved another notch into the program's rich history, giving Azusa Pacific back-to-back 6-goal games away from home for just the second time ever. In the 1999 season, the Cougars went on the road to post a 6-0 win at Point Loma Nazarene and a 12-0 victory at Hope International in consecutive games. However, it was Broad's repeated success around the goal stole the show Saturday.

Freshman Jacqueline Conforto wasted little time putting the Cougars on the board, finding the net at the far post on a breakaway just 4:14 into the game. From then on, the offense revolved around Broad.

In the 12th minute, freshman Molly Lavin's through ball found Broad for a one-on-one opportunity, and Broad's scoring drought was over as she gave the Cougars a 2-0 lead early in the period. Less than 8 minutes later, Broad turned a cross from freshman Natalie Sun into another scoring strike, pushing the lead to 3-0 just past the 19-minute mark of the contest. Midway through the half, less than a minute after the Azusa Pacific attack was caught offside, senior defender Katie Rorabaugh set up the score that gave the Cougars a 4-0 lead and completed Broad's opening-half hat trick.

"Her teammates did a great job of putting her in position to get those opportunities, and she finished them really well," Surrell said.

Broad added 2 more goals in the second half, scoring in the 68th minute with an assist from Conforto and again in the 80th minute when Lavin registered a second assist when she found Broad over the top of the Trinity International defense. The hat trick was the seventh of Broad's career, and it was the fourth time she registered 3 goals in a single half.

"We wanted to see some of our younger players get out there and see some different combinations out there," Surrell said. "I thought the first half today was the best soccer we've played yet this year."

The Cougars didn't allow a single shot from Trinity International, allowing freshman goalkeeper Michelle Wieland to register the shutout in her collegiate debut. Azusa Pacific finished with 26 shots, 8 of them taken by Broad, and the Cougars got 18 different field players into the game in its last match before a 12-day layoff that precedes the Sept. 21 Golden State Athletic Conference opener at Vanguard. Azusa Pacific is now 3-1 on the season, while Trinity International,

THERESA BROAD'S CAREER HAT TRICKS
Goals   Date    Result, Opponent, Site
  5    9/05/09  W, 6-0 vs. Trinity International (Ill.) @ Riverside, Calif.
  4   10/04/08  W, 5-1 vs. San Diego Christian @ El Cajon, Calif.
  4    9/06/08  W, 8-1 vs. Bethel (Tenn.) @ Azusa
  3   11/15/07  W, 3-0 vs. Houghton (N.Y.) @ Daytona Beach, Fla.
  3   11/06/07  W, 4-1 vs. California Baptist @ Azusa
  3   10/31/06  W, 4-0 vs. Menlo @ Azusa
  3   10/17/06  W, 4-0 vs. The Master's @ Azusa

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