As the rain poured down on a chilly October evening at Paul Lorenz Field, Beavers faithful were treated to another Beavers win and hat trick at home under the floodlights, defeating Loyola Marymount 5-1.
Freshman forward Sergi Solans again stole the headlines with a hat trick at home, his second hat trick of the season, making him the first Beav since 1990 to record two hat-tricks in one season.
In typical 2024 Beavers fashion, it didn’t take long for early offensive pressure to turn into a goal, as junior midfielder Fabian Straudi released a perfectly placed curling shot from outside the penalty area, nestling into the side netting and putting the Beavers in front early at 1-0.
The LMU Lions would nearly equalize shortly after, with two decent chances being squandered, first from Hakeem Morgan, then Adrien Gameiro.
The Beavers would make the Lions pay for the wasted chances, as senior Ellis Spikner would fire the ball past Lions goalkeeper Massimo Pomponi in the 19th minute after clever play on the wing by Arnau Farnos.
Farnos would avoid several tackles before picking out Spikner with a measured pass, which Spikner would control and calmly place into the back of the net, doubling the Beavers lead to 2-0.
The Beavers would make it into the half-time break comfortably in front, allowing few chances following Spikner’s crucial goal.
Five minutes into the second half, Solans would score his first of three goals on the night, glancing a header past LMU goalkeeper Pomponi, finishing a well-executed cross by Andrew de Gannes, putting the Beavers up 3-0.
Twenty-five minutes later, Solans would add his second on the night. His 10th of the season, latching onto a measured pass by Dante Williams, touching around the Lions ‘keeper, and passing the ball into an empty net, running to the Beavers bench to celebrate with the coaching staff, increasing the Beavers lead to 4-0.
As the relentless rain began to let up, so did the game’s tempo, with the Beavers comfortably in front.
Senior attacker Jacob Huth returned to the field for the Beavers after an injury earlier in the season, and Pol Morlans, Jacob Zapien, Mark Wieder, and Dante Williams all saw significant minutes in the second half to help Beavers starters rest ahead of a crucial match this Sunday against San Francisco.
LMU would pull one back through Ale Fuentesal in the 77th minute, but the goal would be nothing more than a consolation, making the game 4-1.
Solans would cap off his second hat trick of the season with less than a minute in the game, running onto another through-ball from substitute Dante Williams and chipping it past ‘keeper Pomponi, advancing to the final score of 5-1.
This would cap off a five-goal, five-star performance from the Beavers, with Williams adding his second assist of the night.
Looking ahead to Sunday’s matchup against the University of San Francisco, Head Coach Greg Dalby is prioritizing another fast start, “We are going to have to have a really good start.”
Despite sitting above San Francisco in the West Coast Conference standings, Dalby knows the match will be challenging.
“I think we will have our work cut out for us,” Dalby said. “They’re having a great season and they’re a really good team.”
The depth of the Beavers roster was on full display in victory, with several substitutes impressing, including Dante Williams contributing two assists off the bench.
The depth is crucial for the Beavers’ success, with Dalby saying, “We have such a great squad; it’s incredible.”
Despite the emphatic win and reason to celebrate, Dalby says the work continues tomorrow.
“We will enjoy tonight, and it’s back to work tomorrow and start getting ready for San Francisco.”
Catch the Beavers next home game when they take on the Dons on Nov. 3 at Paul Lorenz Field.
