POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (November 2, 2016) — Freshman forward Mattie Mrlik notched a hat trick, as the Vassar College men's soccer team topped Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 3-1 in the Liberty League Championship semifinals at Gordon Field on Wednesday.
The Brewers will host the championship game on Saturday, as fourth-seeded Skidmore College took down first-seeded Hobart College on the other side of the bracket.
"We just worked really hard in training, and we've been working hard all season," said Hayden Van Brewer, who assisted on the game-winning goal to notch his league-leading 10th helper of the season. "We're really glad to get to this point where we have a chance to get to the finals."
The Brewers dominated possession throughout the contest, outshooting their visitors 25-3 overall.
"It was a great game for us," said coach Andy Jennings, who has led the Brewers to the postseason five times over the past six years. "All we wanted to do was put a performance together, connect offensively. When we do that, we're a very good team."
Goalkeeper Adam Warner earned the win for Vassar (13-3-2) with one stop, while Matt LaBranche took the loss for RPI (8-7-4) with a pair of saves over 63 minutes. RPI keeper Ryan Nealon manned the cage for the remaining 27 minutes, fending away one shot in the process.
The Brewers came out strong, taking six shots over the first 10 minutes before finally connecting in the 12th. Hayden Van Brewer passed left into the box for Mrlik, whose header shot skid just underneath the crossbar and into the net.
Vassar remained relentless on offense, finding the back of the cage about 10 minutes later. Jose Novas played a ball through traffic ahead to Mrlik, who rocketed a shot into the back left side of the net from the far corner of the goalie box.
Mrlik, who leads the league with 29 points on 11 goals and seven assists, capped off his hat trick in the 36th minute, thanks to an assist from Warner. The keeper earned his first collegiate point, as his punt was misplayed by RPI's center back, allowing Mrlik to gain possession, beat the keeper and fire straight back into the net from about 10 yards out.
"We really took care of business in the first half," Warner said. "Mattie Mrlik scored a first-half hat trick, and so it was great. In the second half, we just saw it out and defended pretty well."
The Brewers carried their 3-0 lead into the second half before the Engineers pulled within two. In the 53rd minute, Devon Baughen played a through ball to Austin Betterly, who beat the keeper before tipping his second score of the season into the right side.
Up next, Vassar will welcome Skidmore to Gordon Field for the Liberty League Finals on Saturday. Kickoff is to-be-determined.
—VASSAR—
