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Sam Bermingham struck for his first career hat trick and set up Hayden Cogswell's game winner to lead the Colorado College men's soccer team to a 6-0 victory over Johnson & Wales University on Friday afternoon at Stewart Field.

The Tigers, who improved to 13-5 overall and 8-1 in the conference with their seventh consecutive victory, locked up their first outright Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference regular-season championship and will be the top seed at the 2019 SCAC Men's Soccer Championship.

The game also was the final home appearance for CC's four seniors – Bermingham, Cogswell, Aidan Longhurst and Keller Mochel – and each figured prominently in the team's dominating performance.

Cogswell finished with a goal and an assist, Longhurst anchored the back line which allowed just two shots on goal, and Mochel made a spectacular fingertip save on Emad Bashir-Mohammaed's blast from 15-yards out en route to his 17th career shutout.

CC broke through in the ninth minute when Cogswell slammed Bermingham's cross from the right side of the box into an open net for his fourth goal of the season.

A little less than two minutes later Bermingham doubled the Tigers' advantage when a JWU defender blocked a cross from Jackson Silverstein and the ball went directly to Bermingham on the right side of the 6-yard box.

In the 18th minute, Silverstein got on the end of Cogswell's cross on the right side of the box for his fourth goal of the year.

Bermingham capped his first career hat trick with a pair of goals in a span of 3:12 midway through the second half. He rolled a crossing shot past goalkeeper Zac Collins in the 57th minute after taking a touch from Samson Heyer at the top of the box and then worked himself free on the right side.

Bermingham's seventh goal of the season came after John Schuler rang a shot off the crossbar. The rebound went to Bermingham inside the right post and he scored into an open net.

CC's last hat trick was recorded by Daniel Krueger on Sept. 14, 2018. Krueger came off the bench to score all three goals as the Tigers rallied for a 3-1 victory over Texas Lutheran University at Washburn Field.

Colorado College's last goal was scored by Sajjan Singh, who worked a give-and-go with his brother, Kiran, and scored from the middle of the box to the bottom right corner.

The SCAC tournament kicks off next Friday with a pair of first-round games at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. CC will play on Saturday, Nov. 9, at 11 a.m. against whichever team goes through from Friday's first quarterfinal game.

The complete bracket for the six-team tournament will be announced on Sunday, Nov. 3, at the conclusion of the final matches of the regular season.


Palguta's Perspective
"I don't think any coach is ever fully content, but it's difficult for me to find anything to criticize about our performance today," head coach Scott Palguta said. "The attitude and mentality of the team was excellent from start to finish, and we were very sharp at both ends of the field. 
 
"I'm delighted for our seniors, who all played extremely well in their final game on Stewart Field. Sam and Hayden, in particular, turned in memorable performances.  It was great to have Keller back on the field and Aidan was his steady self.
 
"It's a tremendous accomplishment for the team to win the regular season, but our target has always been the conference tournament and I hope we can use this surge of momentum to help us win another championship next weekend. It will be very difficult.

Colorado College Standouts
John Schuler set up a pair of goals.
The Tigers matched their season high of six goals.

Johnson & Wales Standouts
Starting goalkeeper Brandon Coder made three saves for the Wildcats.
Dylan Reiner and Emad Bashir-Mohammaed's launched two shots apiece for JWU.
 
Next for the Tigers
Colorado College begins its quest for its first SCAC Championship and an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship on Saturday, Nov. 9. As the tournament's top seed, the Tigers will play the first semifinal match against whichever team goes through from Friday's first quarterfinal. Game times will be announced on Sunday.