Sportswriters are always throwing around the term “coming-out party” as a way to describe a young, relatively unknown player’s first great game that will make fans and media alike take notice.
University of Massachusetts freshman forward Stephanie Santos had her coming-out party in just her third collegiate game on Sunday afternoon at Totman field, proving she had adjusted quickly to college soccer.
“You don’t count on anything out of your freshman,” Coach Jim Rudy said. “You hope they are going to do well and kick into gear quickly, but it’s hard to count on anything out of the freshman because you don’t know what pressures come with being a freshman, in particular at UMass with the tradition and how much of a load they have to carry.”
The Ludlow, MA native scored a hat trick in a 6-2 victory over the Binghamton Bearcats in the Massachusetts women’s soccer team’s first game in 11 days.
Santos started the game on the field for the first time in the young season and was immediately a dominant offensive force. She clanked a header off the post 15:00 into the contest – almost a warning shot to the Binghamton goalkeeper of things to come.
After some UMass near misses, Santos finally broke the scoreless tie at 26:33 on an assist from junior midfielder Martha Conover that began on a nice centering pass by sophomore forward Erin Lilly.
Santos and Conover hooked up again seven minutes later when No. 17 found the bouncing ball in front of the net and redirected it over the keeper’s head for her second goal.
UMass went into halftime with a comfortable 3-0 lead, but it wasn’t enough for the diaper dandy. The ball bounced around inside the box for a few moments until Santos pushed her way through the crowd to the ball and punched it into the top of the net at 58:26, essentially putting the contest out of reach.
The three goals gave No. 17 four on the year, with the first one coming in her first regular season collegiate game, a double-overtime win over cross-state rival Boston College.
That opening night goal was preceded by Santos’s selection onto the A-10 All-Rookie Team alongside teammate, and fellow forward, Erica Wideberg.
The preseason accolades and the BC goal warmed everyone up to the name, but after Sunday’s brilliant performance, any Maroon and White soccer fan will now associate the name Stephanie Santos with a dominating force on the pitch.
