Mathias Ignites Fury in First Pro Game
May 13, 2012 | Soccer
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Former Texas A&M soccer player Merritt Mathias led the New York Fury to their first WPSL Elite League win of the season with a hat trick and an assist on Saturday.
The Fury defeated the New England Mutiny, 5-1, in Mathias' first game of her pro rookie season. The Aggie great and two-time All-Big 12 first team selection joined the Fury just a few weeks ago and is already making her mark.
Mathias (Birmingham, Ala.) netted the first goal of the match in the seventh minute before assisting the 2-0 goal in the 14th minute. The fury took a 3-0 lead on a shot by Mathias in the 25th minute and entered the half up 4-0 on the Mutiny as the forward scored with three minutes left in the first period to complete her hat trick.
"It was a good 45 minutes and I think with another few weeks of hard training we will be able to put in a full 90 minutes," Fury head coach Paul Riley said. "We will get back on the training field, and now we have a starting point. We have a lot to improve and work on. It was a night for Merritt to remember and she will continue to grow from every experience."
Mathias ended her career at A&M this fall with a Big 12 Championship and a trip to the NCAA Second Round. The then-senior was named to the All-Big 12 first team, the All-Big 12 Tournament Team and the NCAA All-Central Region Second Team.
