Girls Soccer: Wheeling’s Amanda Peterson’s hat trick downs Maine East

Updated: April 23, 2012 10:42PM

When Amanda Peterson scored her first goal of the season in the opening half of Wheeling’s 4-0 victory over Maine East, it left the Wildcat senior standing in the six-yard box, completely stunned.

“It was this adrenaline rush,” said Peterson, whose first goal came on a header. “It was crazy. The first one, when I got the header I was like, (gasps) I can’t believe that just happened. It was the greatest feeling.”

Peterson wasn’t done scoring. She scored two more goals in the final 10 minutes of the first half for a hat trick. Peterson’s strikes gave Wheeling (3-9) a 3-0 lead and put Monday night’s game well out of reach for Maine East (0-6-1), who didn’t record a shot on goal in the game.

Maine East coach Julie Dickinson was pleased with her team’s effort in the final ten minutes of the game, yet the match’s first 70 minutes followed a familiar pattern.

“I think confidence has been our biggest problem,” Dickinson said. “Our team, like in the last 10 minutes, they can play really well when they want to play. They don’t play that way in the beginning, then they get down and by the time they decide they want to play it’s too late.”

Junior Areli Patino scored Wheeling’s fourth goal.

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