Edwards' Hat Trick Leads UNM Past NAU 6-2
PHOENIX, Ariz. — Yes it was hot in Phoenix as New Mexico took on the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks, but the 100+ degree weather wasn’t nearly as hot as the Lobo offense. Jadyn Edwards scored a hat trick and Molly Myer added a brace as the Lobos hammered Northern Arizona in a wild offensive affair 6-2, pushing UNM over .500 for the first time this season, and giving UNM its first back-to-back wins on the season.
The senior forward might have a sense of deja vu about the match, scoring a hat trick as part of a six-goal Lobo effort. The last time a Lobo scored three goals in a match was Edwards, who did it in a 6-0 rout of San Diego State on November 1, 2019. That was also the last time UNM put six goals into the net. It almost started on the wrong foot, literally, as it was NAU that had the best early change, hammering a shot off the post to the left of Malia Vanisi just six minutes into the game. However, UNM took over after that, with Edwards posting her first two of the night to give UNM a 2-0 lead.
The first came at the 9:12 mark as she took a pass from Zaria Katesigwa and placed a shot home for the 1-0 lead. That was Katesigwa’s first career assist. Edwards then finished off a nifty run of passes at the 22:42 mark to make it 2-0. Aspen Headrick and Madi Hirschman picked up assists on the play.
Molly Myers came in and scored at the 38:20 mark, an unassisted goal to make it 3-0. Myers had entered the game just 23 seconds earlier. It looked like that’s how it would go to the half, but NAU got on the board with just 20 seconds remaining on an Emilie Bennett goal to make it 3-1. Myers took a pass from Ellie Robinson just 6:03 into the second half and quickly made it 4-1, but NAU answered five minutes later on a Madison Montgomery goal, making it 4-2. However, UNM ended any hopes of an NAU comeback with two goals 1:21 apart. Karlee Maes got the first one, off a Maysa Walters assist at the 71:32 mark to make it 5-2. Edwards then completed the hat trick, and the scoring, with an unassisted goal, her tird goal in four games as she took over the team lead in scoring.
Vanisi recorded six saves on the hot evening in moving her record to 2-1 overall. UNM outshot NAU 22-17 and 14-8 on net, with Edwards tallying six of those on her own. NAU had eight corners to UNM’s one, but overall possession was even (52% to UNM)