MILWAUKEE – Molly O'Regan scored three goals in a span of just over 13 minutes during the first half to help propel the Milwaukee women's soccer team to a 4-0 victory over Wright State Sunday afternoon at Engelmann Stadium.
 
The Panthers (9-2-2, 6-0 Horizon League) made quick work of the Raiders (5-5-3, 3-2-1 Horizon League) behind the scoring spree from O'Regan, easily taking care of the team that was the closest to them in the league standings coming into today's action.
 
"I told our team earlier today that we are starting to hit our stride," head coach Kevin Boyd said. "We have been waiting for this and it showed up. We were terrific in the first half today. Just the way we were moving the ball. We found the holes and the way to get in on this team and where to find our goals and we did it."
 
Just three days after a Milwaukee player had recorded the first hat trick for the program since 2017 (Kayla Rollins Thursday at Purdue Fort Wayne), O'Regan did it again in consecutive outings for an offense that is firing on all cylinders.
 
She found her first just 1:27 after subbing into the match, tapping home a perfectly-placed cross from Kat Van Booven to open the scoring at the 24:12 mark.
 
Just over five minutes later she doubled the MKE advantage when she bodied in an endline serve from Rollins at the 29:14 mark.
 
O'Regan saved her best for last, volleying in a free kick from Lainey Higgins at the 37:25 mark to complete the hat trick in just 13:12 of time on the clock.
 
"She had a great day," Boyd said about O'Regan. "We have been waiting on this for Molly. She puts herself in good spots. That first one Kat created very well and all she had to do was make sure the ball went forward, and she did. The second one, Kayla probably miss-hit it a little bit and Molly did what she is supposed to do – she ran the ball into the goal. But the third one was spectacular. The first two she got a whole lot of help from her teammates, that third one was all her – set piece, back post, full-volley, and she drove it in. That was a special goal and to get that one for the hat trick is good for her."
 
It marked the first half trick in the opening 45 minutes since Sarah Hagen accomplished the feat against Valparaiso in the 2009 Horizon League Tournament, as well as the fastest three goals on the clock since Hagen buried three in a span of 12:11 – which also came against Valparaiso during the 2009 regular season.
 
The momentum was then slowed by a nearly 10-minute delay in the 44^th minute when Anna Champine was injured on a play at the sideline, but the team stayed the course and added a fourth goal in the second half and posted its fourth shutout in the past five contests – a span that has seem Milwaukee outscore the opposition by a total of 17-1.
 
"It became a very strange game with the injury to our player," Boyd said. "And there was no ill-intent on it, it was just one of those unlucky situations. But that rattled our team. At halftime, the biggest concern we had was trying to refocus and make sure our team knew our player was okay. So thankfully, she is okay, and our team responded the right way in the second half. What I was most impressed with was the level of care and concern that our players have for each other. That was the biggest standout for me today, even more than our soccer. Their biggest concern was 'is their teammate okay'. I like that … that's who we are, that's part of our program – and we're pretty good at soccer and we are highly-competitive."
 
Van Booven's fifth of the season was also impressive, sending a shot from near the corner kick area up-and-over the head of the WSU keeper to the far post, wrapping up the scoring at the 47:06 mark in the 4-0 decision.
 
The Panthers were in control on both sides of the ball in the opening half, finishing the period with over 60 percent of possession and a shot advantage of 11-4. Rollins nearly continued her torrid pace early, only to see an impressive save off a long free kick from Brooke Parnello keep her out of the back of the net for the first time in six matches.
 
In goal, Kendall Edwards was again on her game, recording five saves to claim her fifth clean sheet of the season. Of her five stops, one was spectacular and it came in the 37^th minute after a 1v1 was created by the Raiders, charging off her line to keep the shutout intact.
 
For the match, the MKE offense ran up advantages of 17-8 in total shots, 15-5 in shots on goal, and finished with 59 percent possession. The offense was on target all day, with 15 of the 17 attempts (.882) needing saves or finding the back of the net. WSU did grab the 5-4 edge in corner kicks on the day. O'Regan led the way with four shots, all of which were on goal. Higgins was second with three, again all of which were on target. Van Booven finished with one goal and one assist, with Elizabeth Reece adding a pair of assists on the afternoon.
 
Up next, the busy stretch of league play continues, hitting the road Thursday at Youngstown State before returning to Wisconsin to host IUPUI Sunday.