Gomez Sanchez Hat Trick Helps Lift Men's Soccer Over Fairfield, 4-0

Saturday, September 17

Temple Sports Complex

2:00 p.m.

Temple University

5-2-0

Fairfield

2-2-2

FAIRFIELD

TEMPLE

Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University

Gomez Sanchez Hat Trick Helps Lift Men's Soccer Over Fairfield, 4-0

9.17.16 | Men's Soccer

Box Score Results

PHILADELPHIA – Temple men's soccer return to its winning ways on Saturday afternoon taking down Fairfield 4-0 with three goals coming from the boot of Jorge Gomez Sanchez. Joonas Jokinen was able to pick up his fourth of the season to round out the scoring plays for the Owls.

"I thought the team had an excellent day," said head coach David MacWilliams. "I think we were disciplined and executed the game plan. We got back to the way we want to play the game."

A slow start finally came to fruition for the Owls when Jorge Gomez Sanchez knocked his seventh goal of the season during the 14th minutes of game play. Kevin Klett and Jokinen threaded a few passes to the forward who found himself in front of the net and soft-touched one right past the Stags' goalkeeper, Jack Robinson.

The Owls would close the first half holding onto a 1-0 lead while dominating the shot game 8-0.

"We were very sound defensively and that's the backbone of our team, " said MacWiliams. "If we're sound defensively we're going to get our chances. Hopefully we're back on track."

As the second half got underway, Gomez Sanchez served a short ball to Jokinen who took a powerful shot from the top of the box that bent straight into the bottom right corner, putting the Owls up 2-0. The goal was Jokinen's third of the season.

Less than ten minutes later in the 63rd minute, Jokinen fired a huge shot on target that just clipped the crossbar and rebounded directly to the feet of Gomez Sanchez. Squaring up, Gomez Sanchez had an easy chip in from inside the box to push the Owls to 3-0 over the Stags.

To round out his hat trick, Gomez Sanchez found the back of the net for the third time in the match just two minute later. Jokinen slid a pass to a charging Albert Moreno who battled a couple Stag defenders to send a cross in from just outside of the box. The cross found Gomez Sanchez who settled and fired to make the score 4-0.

With Gomez Sanchez's seven-point game today, the senior now boasts nine goals and 21 total points. Quickly on his way, Gomez Sanchez is on track to top his 2015 season mark of 31 season points that ranks in a tie for sixth all-time in program history.

Overall, the Stags were held to only two shots through 90 minutes. Didrik Angell let off the only shot on target for the Stags which was swiftly saved by Owls' goalkeeper Alex Cagle.

For the first time in the 2016 campaign, Cagle stepped out of the net to allow sophomore Robin Goetz his first minutes in goal. Goetz helped close out an impressive shut out by the Owls.

The Owls now stand at 5-2-0 heading into their first American Athletic Conference matchup. On Saturday, Sept. 24, Temple will travel to Storrs, Conn. to face the UConn Huskies, the team that has ended the Owls' season for the past two years.

The match is set to begin at 7:00 p.m.