CALDWELL, N.J.- Caldwell University men's soccer senior Andre Vieira (Union, N.J.) recorded a hat trick as the Cougars defeated the College of Staten Island 5-2 in a non-conference contest.
 
The Cougars improve to 2-5-1, while the Dolphins fall to 1-7-0.
 
Caldwell got on the board in the ninth minute as junior Israel Dos Santos Neto (Salvador Bahia, Brazil) passed the ball to sophomore Angel Rodriguez (Paterson, N.J.) in the box, who passed to Vieira in front of the for the first goal of the game.
 
The Dolphins pulled even two minutes later but senior Kalleb Braga (Belleville, N.J.) answered in the 15th minute as he scored off a free kick to put the Cougars back in the lead 2-1.
 
Neto added a goal in the 25th minute as he scored off a corner kick from senior Murilo DeOliveira (Bloomfield, N.J.) for a 3-1 lead. Staten Island closed the gap in the 34th minute to cut the score to 3-2 at halftime.
 
Caldwell added two goals in the second half as Vieira netted his second of the game on a penalty kick in the 57th minute. The Cougars closed out the scoring as Vieira completed the hat trick off a Neto corner kick that was touched by junior Alex Spencer (St. Andrew, Jamaica) to Vieira for the goal.
 
Junior Jalen Folsom (Beachwood, N.J.) played the first half, recording one save. Sophomore Dylan Valencia (Elizabeth, N.J.) stopped one shot, playing all 45 minutes in the second half.     
 
The Cougars return to conference play as they host Thomas Jefferson University on Saturday, September 24 at 1:30 pm.