Women's Soccer 08-09

Junior Anna Rusch registered her first career hat trick in Denison's 6-0 victory over Mount Union Wednesday. Rusch finished the game with seven points.

Junior Anna Rusch (Washington, D.C./Sidwell Friends School) recorded her first career hat trick to help lead the 12th ranked Denison Big Red over Mount Union 6-0 at Barclay-Thomsen Field on Wednesday night in Granville. Rusch notched seven points in the Denison victory.

The Big Red struck first in the 21st minute when sophomore Kim Oshita (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) found Rusch in front of the net for her first goal of the season. Rusch fired a shot in front of a scrum of players past goalkeeper Taryn Vespoint. DU added another tally at 43:52 when junior Julie Dean (Liberty Township, Ohio/Mt. Notre Dame) took a Rusch corner kick and buried it in the netting, giving Denison a 2-0 at the half.

The Big Red carried their intensity into the second half of play. In the 53rd minute, Oshita notched her sixth goal of the year off a Kate Henderson (Denver, Colo./George Washington) assist. Oshita hammered a header past Vespoint from 10 yards out to increase the DU lead to 3-0. Freshman Tory Danis (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood) scored her first collegiate goal when goalie Cayla Ovalle mishandled a shot and left a rebound and a wide open net. The Big Red's final two tallies were by Rusch off senior Sarah Ash (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) assists. The fifth goal came in the 74th minute off a cross from eight yards out, and the sixth score was a header off an Ash cross in the 79th minute.

DU outshot the Purple Raiders 35-1, with 13 of the Big Red's shots were on-goal. Junior Courtney Cobb (Sylvania, Ohio/St. Ursula Academy) and freshman Kerrigan Dopp (McLean, Va./McLean School of Maryland) split time in goal. Vespoint and Ovalle each made three saves.

With the victory Denison improves to 4-0 on the season while Mount Union falls to 0-3-1. The Big Red return to action on Saturday (Sept. 13) when they travel to Transylvania. Game time is slated for 1 p.m.