SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – Dylan Kelly's (Tucson, AZ/Salpointe Catholic HS) first collegiate hat-trick led the University of the Incarnate Word men's soccer team a 4-2 Western Athletic Conference win over Grand Canyon on Thursday night at Benson Stadium.

The win snaps the Cardinals (6-5, 2-3) three-game losing streak and also broke a two-game scoreless streak.  The first half saw both teams share possession of the ball, but UIW dominated when it came to scoring opportunities.  GCU's goalkeeper, Kendyl Day, saved five shots in the first 45 minutes to help the score remain scoreless at half.

The Cardinals have been a second half team this season, 14 of their 20 goals coming into tonight have come in the second half, and tonight was no different.  After failing to score in the first half, UIW scored four times while the Lopes tallied twice.

The Antelopes (6-6, 2-3) opened the scoring in the 53^rd minute when their leading scorer, Alberto Sanchez Garcia, scored off a free kick from 25 yards out.  The Cardinals then pushed offensively and it paid off.  Kelly received a long ball from Ben Conway (Wigan, Eng./Hawkley Hall) in the 61^st minute, flicked it over the defender and then beat the goalie to the far post for his first score of the night and second of the season.  Six minutes later, Kelly received a long throw in from Trinidad Luna (Sugar Land/Clements HS) and fought off a few ricochets to finally tap his second goal of the night.

The Antelopes would tie the score in the 77^th minute when Alex Halis' shot hit off the post and Matthew King was there for the rebound, finding the back of the net to make it 2-2.  Two minutes later, Kelly capped off his night.  This time, he was able to finish off a long low cross from Conway, who had two assists on the night, to give the Cardinals a 3-2 lead in the 79^th minute.  Then in the 83^rd minute, O'Neal Moore (Houston/Alief Taylor HS) dribbled past two defenders and kicked the ball just barely beating the goalie to give UIW the definitive 4-2 advantage.

Kelly now has four goals on the season, and still leads the team in assists with six.  His 14 points are only behind Noah Keats' (Exeter, Eng./The King's School) 19.
After tonight's four goals in the second half, the Cardinals have now scored 18 of their 24 goals in the last 45 minutes of games.

UIW will look to build on this win as they travel to Las Vegas to face UNLV in a WAC contest on Sunday at 3 p.m.
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