Mia Hamm's first professional hat trick helped the Freedom clinch a spot in the playoffs. (Credit: Getty Images) Email photo to friend

Washington, D.C. (August 2, 2003) - Mia Hamm recorded her first career WUSA hat trick and Abby Wambach added two goals and two assists as the Washington Freedom defeated the San Jose CyberRays, 5-0, at RFK Stadium Saturday in front of 9,269 fans. The victory clinched a playoff spot for Washington for the second consecutive year. The five-goal winning margin was the largest margin of victory in the team's history.

The Freedom nearly struck first in the 13th minute when midfielder Steffi Jones found left midfielder Kelly Golebiowski on a run down the flank. Golebiowski's left footed strike beat goalkeeper Lakeysia Beene but went wide right, narrowly missing the far corner. In the 17th minute goalkeeper Siri Mullinix kept the Freedom from falling behind when she saved San Jose midfielder Tisha Venturini-Hoch's right-footed side volley from eight yards out. Venturini hit the shot after a rebound bounced right in front of her, and Mullinix had to make a diving save to push the ball away from danger, keeping the score locked at 0-0.

The Freedom finally found the net to open the scoring in the 41st minute on a play that featured great work by several Washington players. The play started in the back when captain Jennifer Grubb did a great job of juggling the ball in the air before playing it down the right sideline to forward Abby Wambach, who carried the ball down the line and into the box before crossing to Mia Hamm for an open shot on top of the six. Hamm's shot slapped off the crossbar, but fell to Golebiowski who headed the ball back into the six where Hamm also headed it past Beene and into the net to put the Freedom ahead 1-0, which held up through halftime.

Hamm brought her scoring touch from the first half into the second when she scored her second goal of the match in the 50th minute after a Wambach cross was headed down to her by Jones. Hamm calmly touched the ball underneath a diving Beene to put the Freedom up by two. Hamm continued her scoring frenzy five minutes later when she completed the hat trick after tucking away a pass she received from Wambach. Hamm took off on a run down the middle of the field and Wambach played the ball perfectly in front of the star forward. With Beene charging, Hamm calmly chipped the ball over and past the goalkeeper with the outside of her right foot and into the far corner of the net to put Washington ahead 3-0.

Wambach put the Freedom up 4-0 in the 76th minute on a striking shot from outside the 18 that found the lower left corner of the net. The play started when defender Sandra Minnert played the ball up to German forward Jenny Meier, who had just subbed in for Hamm. Meier laid the ball back for Wambach who touched it past a couple San Jose defenders before burying the ball for her seventh goal in seven games. Wambach then made it eight goals in seven games when she put away her second goal of the match in the 85th minute on a left footed volley from eight yards out. Midfielder Sarah Kate Noftsinger chested the ball down to Wambach who blasted the ball home to make it 5-0, the match's final score.

Goals by Period 1 2 Tot
San Jose CyberRays 0 0 0
Washington Freedom 1 4 5

Scoring Summary:
WAS -- Mia Hamm 9 (Kelly Golebiowski 3) 41
WAS -- Mia Hamm 10 (Steffi Jones 4, Abby Wambach 5) 50
WAS -- Mia Hamm 11 (Abby Wambach 6, Siri Mullinix 2) 55
WAS -- Abby Wambach 12 (Jennifer Meier 1, Sandra Minnert 2) 76
WAS -- Abby Wambach 13 (Sarah Kate Noftsinger 1, Casey Zimny 1) 89

San Jose CyberRays -- LaKeysia Beene, Thori Bryan, Dianne Alagich, Kelly Lindsey, Michelle French, Keri Sanchez (Christina Bell 61), Katie Antongiovanni (Katie Barnes 42), Betsy Barr, Ann Cook (Sissi 46), Tisha Venturini-Hoch, Mandy Clemens (Katia 46).

TOTAL SHOTS: 12 (Katia 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 5 (Katia 3); FOULS: 15 (Ann Cook 3); OFFSIDES: 2 (Christina Bell 2); CORNER KICKS: 8 (Michelle French 5); SAVES: 7 (LaKeysia Beene 7)

Washington Freedom -- Siri Mullinix (Nicci Wright 79), Carrie Moore, Jennifer Grubb, Sandra Minnert, Skylar Little, Lindsay Stoecker (Casey Zimny 57), Kelly Golebiowski (Sarah Kate Noftsinger 79), Steffi Jones, Mia Hamm (Jennifer Meier 75), Jacqui Little (Meredith Beard 61), Abby Wambach.

TOTAL SHOTS: 22 (Abby Wambach 8); SHOTS ON GOAL: 12 (Abby Wambach 5); FOULS: 12 (Steffi Jones 3); OFFSIDES: 1 (Abby Wambach 1); CORNER KICKS: 4 (Mia Hamm 3); SAVES: 5 (Siri Mullinix 4)

Misconduct Summary:

Referee: Misail Tsapos
Referee's Assistants: -Kenneth Kaplan; Kim Oberle
4th Official: Andrew Chapin
Attendance: 9,269
Time of Game: 1:49
Weather: Partly Cloudy-and-83-degrees

Freedom's Mia Hamm on the win:

"(We) were a different team in the second half. Every single player went out in the second half and got the job done, especially our defense. We got in on the flanks, too, with Kelly (Golebiowski) and Jacqui (Little)."

Freedom's Mia Hamm on her touch and the win:

"As you get older you try to become a finisher and not just a shooter. But I will take it tonight. Most importantly, these three points get us into the playoffs - whether it was 1-0 or 5-0."

Freedom's Abby Wambach on the win:

"We leave this game pretty positive - going into the last few games of the season. We made the playoffs, so we are going to go with what we got."

Freedom head coach Jim Gabarra on the win:

"We still have to win games - we can't be happy we are in the playoffs."