Markou's hat trick leads MCC past Genesee

BATAVIA - Eleni Markou registered her third consecutive hat trick as the MCC women's soccer team defeated host Genesee Community College 5-1 Monday afternoon.

With the Tribunes (7-3-2) leading 1-0, Markou scored three straight spanning the halves to put Monroe firmly in command. The freshman also had three goals in wins over Nazareth JV and Mercyhurst North East last week, and has 14 goals and five assists since returning from playing for the Greek national team in September.

Bayley Kralik added a goal and an assist for the Tribunes. She got the team on the board in the 28th minute, heading in a shot that hit the crossbar and went in for a 1-0 lead.

Markou then tallied her first in the 35th minute, taking a feed from Elin Eklund and breaking away for the goal and a 2-0 advantage. MCC would take that two-goal lead into the break.

Markou scored early in the second half off an assist from Gabriella Hallnan, and completed her hat trick in the 61st minute to put Monroe up 4-0. Eklund finished the scoring for MCC in the 77th minute off a pass from Kralik.

The Cougars tacked on a goal in the final minutes of the game. MCC's Caitie Broderick stopped two shots and held GCC off the board over the game's first 70 minutes.