IRVINE, Calif. – Senior Angely Puga joined the Hope International women's soccer record book with a four goal outburst in Thursday's 6-0 rout of Stanton at the OC Great Park.
Puga became just the fourth player in program history to net four or more goals in a game. She is the first Royal since Jazzmyn Esquivel in 2017 to score four goals.
The forward did all that damage in just 46 minutes of action, while recording a match-high six shots.
Puga scored twice within the first five minutes, and added a third goal in the 28th minute, giving the Royals a 3-0 lead and achieving a hat trick well before the halftime horn.
The Royals went up 1-0 at the 3:11 mark as Ana Pacheco slipped a pass to a streaking Puga, who gathered the ball on the right side of the box and deposited her shot to the lower left corner.
Just over two minutes later, an Elks defender misplayed a clearance attempt to Kalia Lanoza. Lanoza shoveled a short pass to a trailing Puga, and the Pasadena native fired a shot to the upper right corner for the 2-0 lead.
HIU tacked on goal number three after playing the ball out side to defender Charlie Grace. Grace lofted a pass over the Stanton backline and connected with Puga, who one-timed her shot to the lower left corner.
Coming out of halftime, the Royals added their fourth goal at the 49:58 mark as Karissa Frerichs dribbled through the Elk defense and hit a left-footed liner that deflected off the bottom of the crossbar and into the goal.
The Royals made it 5-0 in the 53rd minute as Frerichs deflected a cross from the right side to Madelynn Valdez, who headed the ball down and struck a left-footer to the far post.Â
Puga collected her fourth goal in the 64th minute. Frerichs had a breakaway opportunity and poked the ball off the Elks goalkeeper. The deflection rolled straight to Puga, who calmly floated her shot into the net.
Frerichs now has three assists through two games.
The Royals held a 23-2 shots advantage as HIU goalkeeper Victoria Ruiz earned the shutout. Stanton starting goalkeeper Prima Nikornnarong played the first half and made seven saves. Her backup, Alessia Forti, stopped four shots in the second half.
HIU begins GSAC play on Tuesday, September 8 at La Sierra, with kickoff scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
