Hester's hat trick sends Bishops to 3-3 tie with Chowan

Rocky Mount, NC - In Wednesday's 2006 women's soccer season opener, freshman Meredith Hester (pictured) scored her first three collegiate goals, leading her Bishop squad to a hard-fought 3-3 tie with Chowan University (3-2-1) at Scalf Field.  Hester's third goal gave Wesleyan (0-0-1) a 3-2 lead with less than 15 minutes remaining in regulation, but the Hawks' Ashley Bradford scored on a breakaway just minutes later to send the game into overtime. 

The Bishops took a 1-0 lead early when freshman Aubrey Bonorden found Hester in the box just 1:48 into the contest.  Chowan tied the game in the 16th minute on a Clara Danzeisen 18-yard shot off of an Ally Pearson pass. 

The 1-1 tie would carry over into the second half.  Just six minutes into the period, however, Bradford scored the first of her two goals to put the Hawks on top at 2-1.

Hester responded in the 62nd minute when she took a great feed from sophomore Reva McCloud and beat Chowan keeper Tiffany Lee 1-on-1.  Hester was not done, though, as she completed the hat trick at the 65:12 mark.  The unassisted goal came on a shot deep in the left corner that she bent past Lee for the 3-2 Bishop lead.

Bradford answered for the Hawks on a breakaway.  After her first shot was saved by NCWC goal Cary Trump, she tapped home the deflection to knot the game at 3-3 with 12:05 remaining.

Neither team would find the back of net over the next 32 minutes, preserving the tie.  Chowan out-shot Wesleyan 22-13 with Trump making seven saves for the Bishops.  Lee recorded three saves for the Hawks.

Wesleyan returns to action at home on Sunday when the Bishops host Bryn Mawr College at 12:00 noon at Scalf Field.