Mario Arrocha Longwood 2021
John Byrum
6
Winner USC Upstate USCU (3-5-3, 1-1-2)
0
Radford RAD (3-7-0, 1-2-0)
Winner
USC Upstate USCU
(3-5-3, 1-1-2)
6
Final
0
Radford RAD
(3-7-0, 1-2-0)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
USC Upstate USCU 3 3 6
Radford RAD 0 0 0

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

Behind a Scoring Outburst, Including a Hat Trick from Mario Arrocha, Men's Soccer Downs Radford 6-0

RADFORD, Va. – Building upon its back-to-back positive results, USC Upstate men's soccer secured three points and its first victory in Big South Conference play with an offensive outburst against Radford Saturday afternoon.

For the first time since 2015 and just the third time in the program's Division I era, redshirt junior Mario Arrocha scored a hat trick, posting his first career multi-goal game with goals in the 25th, 27th, and 52nd minutes.

Arrocha was joined in the scoring by a trio of players scoring for the first time in 2021 as redshirt sophomore defender Orion McHugh (40') tallied his second career goal and sophomore midfielder Elias Ehlin (76') and freshman forward Alvaro Martin (81') tallied their first career goals as Upstate secured the 6-0 victory.

Defensively, the Spartans pitched its third shutout of the year with junior goalkeepers Luca Bulfon and Lukas O'Grady combining for the shutout. Bulfon made Upstate's lone save in the match as the defensive unit held Radford to five shots.
 
Game Information
Score: USC Upstate 6, Radford 0
Records: USC Upstate (3-5-3; 1-1-2 Big South); Radford (3-7-0; 1-2-0 Big South)
Location: Cupp Stadium | Radford, Va.
 
How It Happened
  • 25' – Coming off a corner kick from Mario Arrocha, Orion McHugh got two great looks at goal, following the rebound of the corner kick and his first shot attempt before Radford's Noah Haddad received a red card after a deliberate handball to save an Upstate goal and put the Highlanders a man down for the remainder of the match. On the penalty kick, Arrocha stepped to the penalty spot, burying his second PK of the season near the left post.
  • 27' – Receiving a pass that Javier Torres snuck through the legs of a Highlander defender, Arrocha lofted a one-time shot with his right foot over the leaping Radford keeper for his second goal of the match.
  • 40' – Playing the ball short off a corner kick opportunity, Fabian Dietrich delivered a cross to the opposite side of the box, finding McHugh on the other end who headed towards Paul Bobai. Tangled with a Highlander defender, Bobai laid the ball back for McHugh who fired a shot with his right foot to secure his second career goal and his first since February 28 vs. Campbell.
  • 52' – Taking a pass from Jeremy Montero just inside the 18-yard box, Arrocha finished his hat trick—and first career multi-goal match—working around a Radford defender to create a pick between the defender and the goalie to tuck a left-footed shot between the keeper and the post.
  • 76' – Working with some space in a one-on-three situation following a nice through ball from Dietrich, Brody Williams is fouled from behind just before reaching the top of the box, earning a free kick. Stepping up to take the free kick from roughly 25 yards out, Elias Ehlin caught Radford off-guard, quickly taking the set piece and burying it near the left post with nary a flinch from the Highlander defense for his first career goal.
  • 81' – Finding the ball at his feet with a one-on-one opportunity inside the box following a beautiful through ball from Bobai, Alvaro Martin punctuated the Spartans' scoring with a right-footed dagger past the oncoming keeper near the right post for his first career goal.
 
Notable
  • Tallying his first career multi-goal match, Mario Arrocha scored the third hat trick in Upstate's Division era, securing the first since 2015.
  • Upstate's six goals against Radford Saturday are the most for the Spartans since scoring five goals against Presbyterian on March 10, 2021.
  • Scoring six times in Saturday's match, Upstate nearly doubled its season scoring total, entering the match with seven goals scored on the season.
  • Scoring the final two Spartan goals, Elias Ehlin and Alvaro Martin notched their first career goals while Orion McHugh added his second career goal in the match.
 
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