Box Score Mankato, Minn.—Nicole Dooher 's first career hat trick sparked Minnesota State (8-1-1, 5-0-0 NSIC) past the University of Sioux Falls 7-0 Tuesday afternoon. This is the first Maverick hat trick since Laura Leber on Oct. 16, 2010. MSU hammered 18 shots on goal as USF had two in the game.

In a five goal first half, Minnesota State junior Nicole Dooher played 27 minutes and tallied goals at the 13th minute, 22nd minute and 27^th minute of the game. Dooher now owns nine goals and five assists on the season.
 
Junior Cassie Weik assisted two of the Dooher goals, putting her at five assists in 2011. Freshman Ashley Harlan started her first game at MSU as she assisted Dooher’s second goal.
 
MSU sophomore Ashley Sykora put an unassisted ball in the back of the net off a corner kick in the 15^th minute of the game. Junior defender Lauren Somers scored her first goal of the season with 31 seconds left in the first half. Somers also tallied two assists in the game.
 
In the second half, the Mavericks kept the pressure on the Cougars as Katrina Waltz crossed a ball and a USF defender tried to clear it and put it in the back of her own net, giving MSU a 6-0 lead at the 54^th minute mark. Waltz had a hand in the final goal of the game after she received a ball from Somers and scored her first goal of the season at the 81^st minute mark.
 
 Freshman goalkeeper Molly McGough played the first half and made one same from the Cougars offense. Senior keeper Briana Hendricks saw her first action of the season as she completed the MSU shutout, making two saves.
 
Minnesota State (8-1-1, 5-0-0 NSIC) hosts Wayne State College on Saturday at 1 p.m., at the Pitch at Gage Towers in Mankato, Minn. The game will be MSU’s breast cancer awareness game.

For game stats, click HERE.