RIPON, Wisconsin – Jacob Oppeneer of the Ripon men's soccer program scored three goals on Saturday afternoon as the Red Hawks rolled to a 4-1 win over visiting Buena Vista at Prairie Field.
 
The senior forward from Oostburg earned his first career hat trick and, in the process, already matched his single-season career high in goals with 5. He also scored 5 goals in the 2021 and 2022 campaigns.
 
Eight minutes into the match, Oppeneer took a feed from Tim Geocaris and scored to give Ripon (2-0-3) an early 1-0 lead. In the 53rd minute, he found the back of the net once again, this time on a pass from senior Eli Dietzel. With less than 29 seconds remaining in the contest, and the decision well in hand, Oppeneer tacked on a third goal for good measure in unassisted fashion.
 
Saturday marked the second consecutive game with a Red Hawk earning a hat trick after Finley Manning scored three goals in Tuesday's match at Maranatha Baptist.
 
In addition to an assist, Geocaris scored for the first time in the season. The senior captain's unassisted goal in the 26th minute gave Ripon a 2-0 lead.
 
Ripon held a 19-5 advantage in overall shots over Buena Vista (1-4-1) and had 9 shots on goal compared to the Beavers' 3.
 
Oppeneer had a career-high 8 shots (6 on goal) to lead all players. Andre Robertson had a trio of shots off the bench for the Red Hawks.
 
Sam Jahnke played all 90 minutes in net and collected a pair of saves.
 
UP NEXT: Ripon heads back on the road in just two days, facing Coe College on Monday (September 18) in Cedar Rapids. First touch is scheduled for 5 p.m.
 
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