DEFIANCE, Ohio - Trine University men’s soccer senior Curtis Holcom (Converse, Ind./Oak Hill) scored his first career hat-trick to lead the Thunder to a 4-0 victory over Defiance College. The win snaps a two game losing streak for the Thunder to improve to 2-3 on the year.

Holcom scored his first goal in the 35th minute as fellow senior Andre Hilson (Bremen, Ind./Bremen) found Holcom for the score.

Leading just 1-0 at the half, junior David Duquette (Wilmington, Ohio/Wilmington) opened the scoring in the second half, finding the back of the net just five minutes in off an assist from sophomore Karston Shepard (Plainfield, Ind./Plainfield). Just six minutes later Holcom would score again, this time unassisted, to put the Thunder up 3-0.

Holcom’s third and final goal of the game came at 63:45 on a touch pass from Hilson to beat the Yellow Jacket keeper for the hat-trick.

Sophomore goalie Chris Stewart (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester) earned his second shutout of the season while making a season-high nine saves.

Holcom’s hat-trick comes exactly two years to the day since Trine’s last hat-trick, which was accomplished by Hilson at Manchester in 2010.

For the afternoon Trine out-shot Defiance 17-14, and 11-9 on-goal.

Trine will open conference play when they host Kalamazoo on September 15 at 2:30 p.m.

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