For the second time in as many matches, a Kansas Wesleyan Men’s Soccer player had a hat trick.
Not bad for not having one since 2018 prior to that.
Steven Moya (SR/Whittier, Calif.) scored three goals, and had an assist for the Coyotes as Wesleyan defeated Bethel 6-3 on Saturday night at the Graves Family Sports Complex.
Wesleyan (2-1 overall, 2-0 KCAC) has scored 11 goals in three matches this season, all coming in the last two. It took the ninth match of the 2019 season for the Coyotes to reach that same goal total.
Moya followed Artin Almary (SR/Glendale, Calif.)’s hat trick last week against Bethany with his own. Prior to that the Coyotes hadn’t had a player with a hat trick since the 2018 season.
Wesleyan was on the offensive most of the match, getting early shots off that were saved, or just missed being goals.
Finally in the 11th minute Moya started the scoring. Moya got the ball on the right flank and went 1-vs-1 with a Bethel defender, finding just enough space near the penalty spot and sent the shot just inside the far upper 90 for the goal.
Bethel (2-3 overall and KCAC) responded quickly with a goal, and grabbed the lead on a penalty kick conversion after a foul by KWU in the penalty area.
The Coyotes would find the equalizer in the 29th minute by Almary. Bethel keeper Sean Holness looked to clear a ball to one of his back line players, but Almary picked off the pass and easily scored the goal on a wide open net.
Moya provided the assist on Wesleyan’s go ahead goal in the 41st minute. Moya went for another hard shot that was saved by Holness, but Luis Simbron (JR/Miami, Fla.) was there, playing the rebound off the keeper for the goal putting the Coyotes up 3-2.
Moya extended Wesleyan’s lead to 3-2 in the 52nd minute, taking a long pass down the middle of the pitch, and again beating a defender 1-vs-1 and scoring low inside the left post.
In the 68th minute Moya completed the hat trick. Simbron sent a long pass down the middle of the pitch to a streaking Moya, who had outrun three Bethel defenders and scored in the middle of the goal.
David Bellin (JR/Berlin, Germany) capped Wesleyan’s scoring in the 74th minute with a goal that looked almost like Moya’s third. Bellin was a little further out on the right wing, having to angle his shot across the face of the goal, but did so expertly following the delivery of the pass from Simbron.
Bethel got a final goal off a set piece in the 75th minute.
Wesleyan outshot Bethel 20-7 in the match, led by eight from Moya. Almary had five. Simbron finished with a goal and two assists in the match. Ronald Gonzalez (SR/Los Angeles, Calif.) picked up the win in goal, with one save, as the Coyote defense limited Bethel’s chances.
The Coyotes are back in action on Wednesday, hosting Tabor in a match that was postponed from September 5. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. at the Graves Family Sports Complex.
