Junior Treshaun Pate doubled his season-long scoring output Saturday as he recorded his first career hat trick – including the game-winner in overtime – to lift the Wilmington College men’s soccer team past Marietta, 3-2, Saturday in Ohio Athletic Conference action at Townsend Field.

“I knew (Marietta was) a good team, but they were better than I thought,” said Wilmington head coach Bud Lewis. “They had a couple of very dangerous and skillful players up top. We showed a lot of grit. We had a lot of guys getting some playing time because of our injury situation.”

It was Wilmington’s first OAC victory of the season.

Pate came through huge for a WC team that played without its two leading scorers and lost their third scorer with an injury during the game.

“What can you say with Treshaun?” said Lewis. “It was just a fabulous performance with the hat trick. We absolutely needed someone to step up big given our circumstances, and he certainly did.

“The timing was perfect. The last goal, it couldn’t have been a better … and not only that, the guy stuck a tackle and he got through the tackle. It was a fabulous individual effort.”

Sophomore Colton Smith tallied his first career point with the assist.

Pate got the scoring going with an unassisted goal just 28 seconds into the second half as he dribbled down the right sideline and beat the keeper.

From there, Marietta started to apply immense pressure to the Wilmington defense. Senior Chris Bourque was up to the task for most of the second half with four saves in the half. He finished with eight saves on 10 shots to earn the victory.

However, Marietta finally broke through in the 72nd minute with the equalizing goal and then took the lead five minutes later.

Sophomore defender JC Brewer got involved in the offense pushing the ball up the right sideline, and played a nice ball across the mouth of the goal that Pate put into the back of the net exactly two minutes from the time Marietta took the lead.

“That was big,” said Lewis. “It was a great cross from J.C. and Tre hit it with his left foot. I haven’t seen a goal like that from him; that was just beautiful.”

Wilmington (7-6-2 overall, 1-3-1 OAC) travels to Ohio Northern (9-5-1, 2-3 OAC) 7 p.m. Tuesday in OAC action.