Manaka Matsukubo registers hat trick as Courage thrash Bay FC

A hat trick from Manaka Matsukubo kept the North Carolina Courage's playoff hopes alive in a 4-1 win Friday night over Bay FC in San Jose, Calif. The Courage (8-9-8, 32 points) survived two late potential match-tying moments in the 65th and 67th minutes before Shinomi Koyama and Matsukubo sealed the victory. With the match at 2-1, Koyama scored on a one-touch shot that landed at her feet off a Tyler Lussi header. The 74th-minute goal followed opportunities for Bay FC (4-13-8, 20 points) that both hit off the post. The goal was the second in as many matches for Koyama. In the 80th minute, Matsukubo anticipated a pass back to keeper Jordan Silkowitz, won the ball in front of an open net and scored a fourth goal for the Courage. Matsukubo registered her first career hat trick. In the third minute of play, she put the visitors in front off an errant Bay FC cleared ball. Ashley Sanchez ended up with the ball inside the 18-yard box, but instead of shooting, the midfielder found the 21-year old Japanese standout, who shot under Silkowitz, squeaking the ball in under the diving goalkeeper. In the eighth minute, Meredith Speck received a long pass down the left wing and found Matsukubo for a rapid 2-0 lead. North Carolina had all the momentum in the first half over Bay, but missed multiple opportunities that kept the match at 2-0. In the third minute of first-half stoppage time, Bay FC capitalized on a header from Penelope Hocking which found the net. Casey Murphy made five saves for North Carolina, while Silkowitz recorded three for Bay FC. –Field Level Media

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