Smith hat trick part of New Kent stomping of Gloucester on pitch

New Kent’s Quinn Fiel (14) battles a Gloucester player in a battle for possession of the ball.

Robb Johnson photo

Next Lady Trojan up.

That mentality and the resolve by the New Kent Lady Trojans along with a hat trick by Gretchen Smith was key as they defeated the visiting Gloucester Lady Dukes 5-1 in Friday night’s girls’ soccer contest.

Facing a slew of injuries, the hosts utilized defensive pressure and great goaltending by Madelyn Call, who filled in for an injured Emily Ward, in the net.

New Kent struck on offense with Olivia Allen’s goal early on to provide a lead. Five minutes later, Smith’s high-arching goal doubled the home team’s advantage as Gloucester could not prevent the score. With 3:11 remaining until the halftime break, Smith notched goal number two to elevate New Kent to a 3-0 lead heading into the intermission break.

After halftime, Morgan Schalasny punted goal number four into the back of the net for the hosts, while Smith completed a hat trick with her third goal of the night to up the home team’s advantage to 5-0. Gloucester would add a goal later, but the difference was too great for the visitors to overcome.

New Kent improves to 7-1-1 on the season.