Site: Livonia, Mich. (The MAC)
Score: Madonna 6, Calumet St. Joseph 1
Records: MU (2-2-0), CCSJ (1-4-0)
Next MU event: Wednesday, Sept. 11 – vs. Spring Arbor (The MAC) – 4 p.m.

LIVONIA, Mich. - - The offensive explosion from the Madonna University men's soccer team continued on Friday afternoon (Sept. 7) as the Crusaders downed visiting Calumet College of St. Joseph 6-1 behind the strength of a hat trick from senior Dane Laird (Farmington Hills, Mich. / Harrison).

The six goals is a new season-high for the Crusaders, topping the five MU scored on Sept. 4 against Rochester in an overtime affair.

"We were better today defensively," said head coach Eric Scott. "The back four wanted to make a statement and they did a much better job of being organized. Matteo (Barsalona) played another good game, Dane was great getting to goal and I thought Ryan Williams did a great job bringing people into the game. Dane's first goal was excellent. He took it well off his chest and hit a great volley across the face of the goal. Willy's (Williams) goal was based on our mobility and his ability to find some open space on the back post. He got enough of the ball to sneak it past the goalie."

In addition to Laird's first career hat trick, sophomore Ryan Williams (Auburn Hills, Mich. / Avondale) along with juniors Doug Beason (Northville, Mich. / Northville) and Gavin Kelly (Detroit, Mich. / Martin Luther King) all scored for MU which got to the.500 mark at 2-2, with the victory.

Laird opened the scoring at the 4:47 mark, unleashing a hard shot from just inside the 18-yard box after a cross from senior Cayle Lackten (Sydney, Nova Scotia / Westmount Secondary) and beat CCSJ's Fernando Perez for a 1-0 lead.

Williams made it 2-0 in the 19th minute, creating space and heading a pass from sophomore Nicholi LaRocca (Clinton Township, Mich. / Chippewa Valley) past Perez.

After MU took a 2-0 lead into intermission, Beason got in on the scoring, depositing his second goal in as many games past Perez in the 51st minute on an assist from Williams and beat Perez one-on-one for a 3-0 lead.

Laird scored the next two Madonna goals just 37 seconds apart with tallies coming at the 53:11 and 53:48 marks. The first came on a pass from Williams that sent across the front of the box to a waiting Laird for a 4-0 lead. The fifth MU goal was all Laird as he sent in a free kick from 20 yards out past Perez for the 5-0 lead.

Kelly – appearing in his first career match – capped the MU scoring at the 80:38 mark, taking a pass from John Hatzis (Northville, Mich. / Northville) and beating Jorge Barba to the left for the 6-0 lead.

Rob Thome got CCSJ on the board in the 82nd minute, beating freshman John Boudreau (Livonia, Mich. / Stevenson) but that was the only tally the Crimson Wave would produce as MU coasted to the 6-1 victory.

Senior Adrian Motta (Livonia, Mich. / Churchill) earned the win for MU in goal, stopping all three shots he saw for his first victory of the season.

MU dominated on the score sheet, outshooting CCSJ 24-8 and holding an 11-4 edge in shots on goal.

The Crusaders wrap up their three-match homestand on Wednesday (Sept. 12), hosting Spring Arbor in a 4 p.m. kick off at the MAC.