Orlando, Fl. (June 1, 2019)- The North Carolina Courage kicked off the month of June with a 3-0 win over the Orlando Pride. Kristen Hamilton scored all three goals in the match for her first career hat trick. The Courage head into the FIFA window with an overall record of 3W-2L-3D.

The Courage kept possession and created chances early in the first half. In the 32ndminute, McCall Zerboni, who wore the captain’s band for the match, split two defenders opening up a window for a shot. Her low shot was saved by Orlando goalkeeper Haley Kopmeyer who made the diving save.

The NC Courage earned their first corner kick of the match in the 44th minute. Jaelene Hinkle played a ball in that bounced around the box. Kopmeyer got a hand on Leah Pruitt’s poke at the ball saving what could have been a goal. The ball eventually popped out of the box back to Hinkle who sailed a ball in that hit the crossbar.

After being unable to find the back of the net, the Courage entered halftime scoreless for the third consecutive game. The Courage outshot the Pride eight shots to two in the first half.

Hamilton crashed the box in the 60th minute and it paid off. Hinkle played a long ball in that cleared the heads of all the defenders but bounced off Kopmeyer and found the feet of the pressuring Hamilton.

Hamilton continued her pressure and presence, scoring the second goal of the match just six minutes later. Pruitt fed Hamilton the ball right inside the box. Hamilton then cut between two defenders before blasting the ball into the upper corner scoring the second goal of the game and her second of the season.

In the 78th minute, Hamilton nearly found her third goal of the game after diving for a cross sent in by Hinkle. She did not stop there though. In the 85th minute, Hamilton netted her third goal of the game for her first career hat trick. Hinkle played in a ball that set Hamilton up for the perfect open shot.

After stellar defense in the game, Sam Leshnak earned the clean sheet in her first career NWSL start. Defender, Ryan Williams, also earned her first career NWSL start in the 3-0 victory.

Notes:

• Kristen Hamilton netted her first career hat trick and her first three goals of the 2019 season.

• UNC product, Sam Leshnak, earned her first professional start and made her NWSL debut in the match. She also earned a clean sheet.

• Ryan Williams earned her first NWSL start in the match and played 82 minutes.

• Meredith Speck entered the match as a substitution to see her first minutes of 2019.

• Merritt Mathias hit the 10,000-minute mark during the match.

• The North Carolina Courage were without international players Abby Dahlkemper, Crystal Dunn, Jessica McDonald, Sam Mewis, Stephanie Labbé, Debinha, and Abby Erceg.

Box Score:

ORL (4-3-3): Haley Kopmeyer; Erin Greening, Morgan Reid, Toni Pressley, Carson Pickett; Dani Weatherholt ©, Bridget Callahan (Caitlin Farrell, 81’), Marisa Viggiano (Joanna Boyles, 71’); Rachel Hill, Abby Elinsky, Chioma Ubogagu (Danica Evans, 71’)

Subs not used: Lainey Burdett, Taylor Porter, Hana Kerner, Alika Keene

NCC (4-2-3-1): Sam Leshnak; Ryan Williams (Heather O’Reilly, 82’), Cari Roccaro, Kaleigh Kurtz, Jaelene Hinkle; Merritt Mathias, Denise O’Sullivan; Kristen Hamilton, McCall Zerboni © (Elizabeth Eddy, 75’), Lynn Williams; Leah Pruitt (Meredith Speck, 68’)

Subs not used: Katelyn Rowland, Ally Haran, Shannon Horgan, Julia Spetsmark

Score:
ORL: 0
NCC: 3

Goals:
ORL: —
NCC: Kristen Hamilton (60’, Pruitt 66’, Hinkle 85’)

Cautions:
ORL: Chioma Ubogagu (Yellow Card, 56’)
NCC: Denise O’Sullivan (Yellow Card, 53’)

Ejections:
ORL: —
NCC: —

Attendance: 4,427