Evelyn Ijeh's Hat-Trick Helps North Carolina Thrash Orlando 5-0
North Carolina Courage forward Evelyn Ijeh scored three goals to lead her team to a 5-0 victory over the Orlando Pride in the National Women's Soccer League on Friday night.
Ijeh's performance snapped a three-game losing streak for the Courage, who now sit at 7-6-3 in the league. Lauryn Thompson and Ashley Sanchez also found the back of the net for the Courage, with Thompson scoring her first career goal in the fourth minute and Sanchez netting her team-leading 10th goal of the season in stoppage time.
The Pride, meanwhile, suffered their 10th loss of the season and now sit at 7-9-2. Star player Barbra Banda was unavailable for the match, as she is representing Zambia in the Women's Africa Cup of Nations.
Ijeh's hat-trick was her first of the season, and she now has seven goals and two assists in her last eight games. Courage goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan earned the shutout, making two saves in the process.
The win marked a much-needed boost for the Courage, who will look to build on this momentum as they move forward in the league.
Source: Yahoo Sports