Vincent records hat trick in win

Midfielder breaks team goals record

There’s one sure bet when it comes to the Riverhounds. It’s Rob Vincent. The Brit, who is responsible for 41 percent of the Riverhounds’ total goals this season, became the all-time single-season leading scorer for the Riverhounds by netting his first hat trick Saturday in a 3-0 victory against the Wilmington Hammerheads FC (2-12-6) at Highmark Stadium, clawing the Riverhounds (8-8-4) out of a three-game losing skid and helping them to their first shutout since the slide began.

“We kind of have a standard joke on the bench, the coaching staff, whenever he gets the ball in the attacking half, we just whisper to each other, ‘Shoot, shoot,’” coach Mark Steffens said of Vincent, adding the most coaching he ever gives his star midfielder is, “Keep doing what you’re doing.”

In the 20th minute, Vincent received the cut back from fellow midfielder Kevin Kerr and slotted the ball past Wilmington’s goalkeeper. Vincent added a second goal angled to the far post in the 86th minute and another in stoppage time to bring his season tally to 16 goals and five assists, tying for the United Soccer League’s leading goal scorer again.

“It’s a nice feeling,” Vincent said. “But the main thing was getting back on track. We’ve had three poor games, so we needed three points.”

Considering in his two previous years with the Riverhounds Vincent contributed only six goals, becoming the go-to scorer this season has been the hallmark for the Riverhounds.

“Rob has had such a great season,” goalkeeper Calle Brown said. “He’ll get shots on goal for you no matter what. Definitely gives us confidence on the defensive side, especially when he’s scoring one, two, three goals in a night.”

The Riverhounds’ next match is Saturday at Toronto FC II.