WALTHAM, Mass. – Sophomore midfielder Amy King (Merrimack, N.H.) scored her first career hat trick today as the Brandeis University women’s soccer team cruised to a 7-0 victory over visiting Westfield State College on Gordon Field.

Brandeis (5-2-1), ranked No. 7 in New England this week, wasted little time in establishing the tempo of the game. In the seventh minute of play, senior co-captain Rachel Koffman (Andover, Mass.) sent a perfect cross that King headed home for her second goal of the season. The Judges’ other senior co-captain, forward Lauren Gregor (Holliston, Mass.), notched her team-leading seventh goal of the season less than 10 minutes later when she tapped home a rebound of a shot from junior forward Lisa Kaplin (Armonk, N.Y.) at the 15:07 mark. King used her head to give Brandeis a three-goal lead 2:01 later, with sophomore forward Nickey Guertin (Orange, Mass.) picking up the assist.

In the second half, Kaplin made her effort to close in on Gregor for the team scoring lead, tallying two goals to give her six on the campaign. Assists came in the 56th minute from sophomore Lizzie Bremner (San Rafael, Calif.) and in the 72nd from rookie back Margot Moinester (Memphis, Tenn.). In the 78th minute, King picked up her first assist of the season on sophomore Kim Fraser’s (Newburyport, Mass.) first collegiate goal. King then completed her hat trick in the 84th minute on a fine give-and-go with rookie Liana Petruzzi (Watertown, Mass.)

Westfield State (1-5), which got outshot, 26-0, in the first half, was able to put on some pressure in the second. The Owls took nine shots, seven of which were on goal. Junior Emily Johnson (East Longmeadow, Mass.) had the most opportunities with three shots, but her best effort was turned away by another key header from sophomore back Stephanie Shumsky (Chalfont, Pa.).

Despite allowing all the goals, WSC senior goalkeeper Jenny Cyr (Worthington, Mass.) turned in a heroic effort with 20 saves, while Brandeis back-up netminder Julie Scherr (Baltimore, Md.) had six stops in the second half of play.

The Judges are next in action on Oct. 1 for their University Athletic Association opener at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.