ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – Megan Thompson found a play that worked for her Saturday, and she used it to her advantage – three times.
 
Thompson scored a hat trick on three very similar plays to lead the College of Saint Benedict soccer team to a 3-2 win over Gustavus. The hat trick marked the second of Thompson's career, and helped push her team's record to 5-6-1 overall and 4-3-1 in the MIAC.
 
The Gusties (5-8-1, 2-5-1) got on the board in the second minute of the game when they kicked a long ball over Kendall Koenen's head, and that 1-0 lead held through the first half and into the second.
 
Thompson got CSB on the board in the 50^th minute of the game when she drew the Gustavus keeper out towards the ball, faked a shot and got the ball behind the keeper, then tapped it into the net. She scored on nearly the exact same play two minutes later to put CSB up 2-1 in the 52^nd minute of the game.
 
The Gusties tied the game 2-2 in the 59^th minute when Chase Miller took a long shot from well outside the box that went over Koenen's head, but Thompsno gave Saint Benedict the lead for good in the 65^th minute when she took a pass from Clara Noack, drew the keeper out and tapped the ball in after it got behind the Gusties' keeper. The goal marked her seventh of the season.
 
The Gusties had several shots that were saved or blocked in the final 10 minutes of the game, but none got to Koenen, and CSB held on for the win.
 
Koenen finished the day with three saves to pick up her fifth win of the season. Gustavus held a 16-15 edge in total shots, but Saint Benedict had seven shots on net to the Gusties' five. Thompson led the team with four shots on net.
 
CSB is off now until Saturday, Oct. 20, when it travels to St. Paul to take on Hamline. The team's final home game of the regular season is Wednesday, Oct. 24, when it hosts Macalester.