SANTA CRUZ, Calif. – Ben Pennell's second career hat trick got the Knights going early, and the Carleton College men's soccer team cruised to an 8-1 victory over Lincoln University (Calif.) on Sunday afternoon in a neutral-site, non-conference match played at UC-Santa Cruz.
 
Six players scored for the Knights (7-3-1), who posted a season-high goal total and doubled their 4-goal effort at Grinnell on Sept. 10. This was the most goals by Carleton since an 8-1 triumph against Cornell College on Oct. 12, 2024.
 
Pennell's scoring barrage was the 18th hat trick in recorded team history. His stellar day included an assist for a career-best seven points. Pennell has accounted for 19 goals over his last 17 games for the Knights dating back to Oct. 19, 2024. He has 11 goals this season, tied for most among MIAC players and tied for the eighth-highest single-season total in program annals. He now has 34 career goals, one behind Tim Wills '12 for second place in team history. Pennell's 83 career points moved him past Bobby Phillips '09 and into third place on the Carleton leaderboard (see charts below).
 
Jonathan Vonderlage also starred for Carleton, registering a career-high three assists to match the top single-game total in recorded team history (see chart below).
 
The Knights spent the majority of the match on the attack and finished with a 17-4 edge in shots and a 14-2 advantage in shots on goal in addition to taking all eight corner kicks in the contest.
 
The opening goal came in the 11th minute. Hays Turner stole the ball in the midfield and ended up in possession on the left side of the box. He slid a pass to the middle for Vonderlage, who deked both a defender and the goalie before flicking the ball off to Pennell for a shot into open net.
 
The Knights struck again in the 17th minute. Hays came up with another takeaway and found Pennell, who dribbled between three defenders before taking an initial shot that was saved. The rebound fell back for Pennell, who took a touch around the goalkeeper and escorted the ball across the line.
 
Pennell did not score the third goal, but he set it up, carrying the ball up the right side before finding Luke Brown alone inside the box for a shot off the goalie and into the net in the 22nd minute. Brown is second on the roster with four goals this season.
 
Pennell completed his hat trick in the 28th minute as he picked off a pass and played the ball ahead for Vonderlage, who dribbled into the box before slotting a pass back across the goal mouth for Pennell to slam home.
 
Another counterattack goal in the 48th minute widened the margin to 5-0. Vonderlage collected a deflection and fed the ball to the top of the six-yard box to Felix Shapiro for his second career goal.
 
On a 58th-minute free kick, Finn Lennon was taken down in box earning a penalty kick. The rookie stepped up to the PK spot and blasted home his second career tally.
 
Elias Meisel contributed his first career assist in the 71st minute. He brought ball up the left wing, dribbled into the box, and slotted a pass to far post where Matvei Keshkevian tapped home his third career goal
 
Lincoln finally got on the board in the 76th minute, as Christopher Ortiz scored of a 23-yard free kick.
 
The day's scoring was capped in the 85th minute. Keshkevian beat the keeper to a short pass into the box, took a touch toward the endline, and fed the ball back to Sebastian Cruz standing alone in front, waiting to knock home his first career goal.
 
Goalkeepers Ethan Saucedo and Efram Stewart made their season debuts for the Knights, sharing the 90 minutes of action between the posts. A total of 22 players saw at least 30 minutes of game action for Carleton, including California natives Pennell, Brown, Meisel, Saucedo, Aidan Morris, and Alexander Grosse.
 
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton returns to Minnesota but remains the road as the Knights head to No. 24 Gustavus Adolphus College for a 1:00 p.m. contest on Saturday, Oct. 11.
 
Carleton Single-Game Goals Leaderboard
1. 6 – Ron Sanders – 10/5/63 (St. Olaf)
2. 4 – Ari Aristides – 10/31/81 (Beloit)
2. 4 – David Lacocque – 8/29/92 (Northwestern)
4. 3 – Jason Thodos – 1979 (Ripon)
4. 3 – J.J. Nowlin – 9/29/94 (Hamline)
4. 3 – Ken Tape – 9/7/96 (UC-LaVerne)
4. 3 – Dakota Loomis – 10/3/01 (Augsburg)
4. 3 – Dakota Loomis – 10/6/01 (St. Johns)
4. 3 – Bobby Phillips – 9/3/06 (Rockford)
4. 3 – Bobby Phillips – 9/12/07 (Macalester)
4. 3 – Branden McGarrity – 9/1/12 (Cornell)
4. 3 – Branden McGarrity – 9/16/12 (Luther)
4. 3 – Peter Passalino – 9/1/13 (Augsburg)
4. 3 – Tonny Aton – 8/30/19 (at Minnesota-Morris)
4. 3 – Charlie Hall – 9/1/19 (vs. Lawrence)
4. 3 – Charlie Hall – 10/23/21 (at St. Scholastica)
4. 3 – Ben Pennell – 11/04/24 (at Bethel in MIAC Quarterfinals)
4. 3 – Ben Pennell – 10/5/25 (vs. Lincoln [Calif.])
 
Carleton Single-Game Assists Leaderboard
1. 3 – Dakota Loomis – 10/28/99 (Hamline)
1. 3 – Tim Wills – 9/8/10 (Concordia-Moorhead)
1. 3 – Simon Ginet – 10/4/11 (Northwestern)
1. 3 – Owen Flanagan – 11/04/24 (at Bethel)
1. 3 – Jonathan Vonderlage – 10/5/25 (vs. Lincoln [Calif.])
 
Carleton Single-Season Goals Leaderboard
1. 19 -- Branden McGarrity -- 2012
2. 15 – Ron Sanders – 1963
3. 13 – Mario Small – 1967
3. 13 – George Monyemangene – 1987
3. 13 – Ben Pennell – 2023
6. 12 – Simon Ginet – 2012
6. 12 – Owen Flanagan - 2024
8. 11 – Ken Tape – 1998
8. 11 – Branden McGarrity -- 2013
8. 11 – Marco da Cunha – 2018
8. 11 – Ben Pennell – 2025
 
Carleton Career Goals Leaderboard
1. 41 – Branden McGarrity – 2012-15
2. 35 – Tim Wills – 2008-11
3. 34 – Ben Pennell - 2022-pres
4. 28 – Bobby Phillips – 2005-08
5. 26 – Marco da Cunha – 2018-21
5. 26 – Owen Flanagan – 2021-24
7. 25 – Yemi Adegunju – 2001-04
8. 24 – Ron Sanders – 1962-64
8. 24 – George Monyemangene – 1985-88
8. 24 – David Watson – 2002-05
 
Carleton Career Points Leaderboard
1. 103 – Tim Wills (35g 33a) – 2008-11
2. 99 – Branden McGarrity (41g, 17a) – 2012-15
3. 83 – Ben Pennell (34g 15a) – 2022-pres
4. 78 – Bobby Phillips (28g, 22a) – 2005-08
5. 72 – David Watson (24g 24a) – 2002-05
6. 66 – Marco da Cunha (26g 14a) – 2018-21
7. 65 – Owen Flanagan (26g 13a) – 2021-24
8. 62 – George Monyemangene (24g 14a) – 1985-88
9. 59 – Ken Tape (23g 13a) – 1995-98
10. 58 – Will Corcoran (20g 18a) 2010-13