MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Christabel Oduro recorded a hat trick in the first half and added a goal and assist in the second half to lead No. 5 Memphis (22-0-1) past UT Martin (14-7-2) 7-0 in the opening round of the 2011 NCAA Tournament on Saturday at Mike Rose Soccer Complex.

Memphis wasted no time taking a lead as Oduro dribbled around a Skyhawk defender and beat the keeper one-versus-one for her 13th goal of the season. With the goal in the second minute, the Lady Tigers registered their earliest goal of the season, listed officially at 1:50.

Oduro struck again in the 25th minute to give the U of M a 2-0 lead. Kylie Davis dribbled the ball up the middle of the pitch and found waiting on the left flank. Oduro took a quick touch and beat the keeper to the back 90.

Oduro completed the hat trick with a goal in the 34th minute. Lizzy Simonin played the free kick from the left side where Oduro gathered in the box and put away her 15th goal of the season on a sliding kick to the lower left portion of the net. Simonin notched her fifth assist of the season on the play.

Rosaelia Loza had a one-versus-one chance for the Skyhawks 38th minute, but defenderChristie Kline recovered and forced the corner kick for UT Martin. Hannah McGowen served the corner kick, but the kick sailed high and wide and the chance was squashed. Loza had another chance with a minute remaining in the half, but the shot rolled just right of the post.

Averi Hallman recorded her first goal of the season in the 51st minute to increase the Lady Tigers lead to 4-0. Carly Cassady beat a UT Martin defender near the corner flag and served the ball into the box were Hallman got a foot on it and finished from five yards out for the goal. It was Cassady’s first career assist.

Hallman scored again three minutes later to give Memphis a commanding 5-0 lead. Natalia Gomez-Junco earned her first career assist as she passed the ball to Hallman at the top of the box. Hallman finished from the right side to the upper left 90 for the score.

Oduro added a fourth goal and an assist in the second half to tie a single-game record with nine points. Oduro gathered a cross into the box from Bailey Pembroke, spun around and fired the shot past the keeper for the goal. Rasheed Ansari scored her seventh goal of the season with a strike from six yards away on the assist by Oduro.

With 16 goals this season, Oduro moves into second in the single-season record book needing two to tie the record. With four more goals Oduro will move to fifth all-time in goals in the programs history. Oduro joins Lesley Zmurchuk and Shelly Heinz as the only Tigers to score four goals in a single game. She is the first player to accomplish the feat since Zmurchuk booted four goals against Stephen R. Austin in 1996.

The seven goals scored in a game are the most since the 2007 season opener against UALR (7-1). This season the Lady Tigers have scored 62 goals total which eclipses the previous season team record of 56 (2007).

Memphis advances to host Louisville in the second round of 2011 NCAA Tournament on Friday, November 18 at 7:30 p.m. No. 1 seed Florida State will play Portland at 5 p.m. on Friday at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex.

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