WILMINGTON, North Carolina – Senior forward Maddie McCormick recorded the second hat trick of her college career with three goals in the first half and added an assist as UNCW (12-5-1, 5-2-1) secured a berth in the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament with an 8-0 victory over Towson (6-7-4, 0-5-2) at UNCW Soccer Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
 
McCormick scored all three of her goals in a 10-minute span during the opening stanza as UNCW surged out to a 5-0 lead and never looked back.
 After senior forward Katrina Guillou gave UNCW a 1-0 lead in the 22nd minute, McCormick extended the advantage to 3-0 with back-to-back goals in a four-minute span.
 
A goal by junior forward Kennedy Ulrich upped the Seahawks' margin to 4-0 in the 32nd minute before McCormick converted a penalty kick with 9:08 left in the first half for her third goal of the game.
 
The Seahawks added three goals in the second half, including a pair of markers from senior defender Morgan Leyble, to close the game.
 
Junior goalkeeper Carolyn Huddy tallied four saves to earn her seventh shutout of the season for UNCW, which outshot Towson by an 18-7 margin.
 
Seahawk Storylines
• UNCW earned its fourth consecutive win over Towson and extended its lead in the series to 13-2-0.  
• The Seahawks tied a school record by earning their 12th regular season win of the year. UNCW also had 12 wins during the regular season in 2008 and 2012.
• The eight goals scored by UNCW are the most by a CAA team this season.
• McCormick posted the sixth hat trick in UNCW women's soccer history.
• Both of McCormick's career hat tricks have come against Towson. McCormick, who has scored seven goals against the Tigers in her career, also notched a three-goal effort in a 5-2 win over Towson in 2012.
• McCormick is now tied for the CAA lead with 11 goals after her three-goal effort Sunday. She also moved into third in the CAA with 25 points.
• McCormick's 11 goals are also tied for eighth on the UNCW single-season goals list. Her 25 points this year are the 10th-highest single-season total in school history.
• UNCW improved to 5-0-1 this year at home and has outscored opponents by a 22-4 margin at UNCW Soccer Stadium.
• UNCW has scored two or more goals in 12 of its last 13 games. The Seahawks are 17-2-2 over the last two years when posting two or more goals, including an 11-2-1 mark this season.
• UNCW reached the 40-goal mark as a team for the sixth time in school history. The 40 goals, which lead the CAA, are the most scored by the Seahawks since 2012 when they had 45 goals.
• Huddy tied the school record by posting her seventh shutout of the season in Sunday's win over Towson. She matched the mark set by Caitlin Hunter in 2012.
• Huddy also moved into sole possession of fifth place on the Seahawks' career shutouts list with her 10th clean sheet.
• Sophomore forward Meg Salvadore posted the first goal of her college career in the second half.
• Leyble posted the first multi-goal game of her career with two goals against Towson on Sunday.
 
What's Ahead for the Seahawks:
Sunday, Oct. 25 vs. College of Charleston (1 p.m.) • UNCW Soccer Stadium, Wilmington, N.C.
Sunday, Nov. 1 – CAA Quarterfinals (Time TBA) • Higher Seeds Host
Friday, Nov. 6 – CAA Semifinals (Time TBA) • Site of Regular Season Champion
Sunday, Nov. 8 – CAA Championship (Time TBA) • Site of Regular Season Champion

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College Women's Soccer: UNCW 8, Towson 0
Towson   0-0 / 0
UNCW   5-3 / 8
 
Goals: TOW – n/a; UNCW – Maddie McCormick 3 (25:51, 29:29, 35:52 – pk), Morgan Leyble 2 (46:05, 50:28), Katrina Guillou (21:28), Kennedy Ulrich (31:13), Meg Salvadore (74:31). Assists: TOW – n/a; UNCW – Serenity Waters, Maddie McCormick, Savannah Andrews, Greyson Ray. Saves: TOW – Taylor Sebolao 5 (45:00, 5 goals allowed), Emma Burnett 1 (45:00, 3 goals allowed); UNCW – Carolyn Huddy 4 (90:00, 0 goals allowed). Shots: TOW – 7; UNCW – 18. Corner Kicks: TOW – 3; UNCW – 1. Attendance: 476.

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