Christian Silva said he’s never scored a hat trick quicker in his entire soccer career.
Clovis North sure appreciated it, having returned from a 10-day COVID-19-related pause and missing eight varsity players due to protocols or Spring Break vacations.
The Broncos’ senior scored three goals on his first three touches in Saturday’s match against Bullard. Clovis North controlled the match from that point on with pressure on defense, defeating the Knights 6-0.
The Broncos’ hot start impressed head coach Cameron Shahrokhi, who said Clovis North could only work out over Zoom during its 10-day shutdown.
“We were able to get back on the field on Thursday and train for two days,” Shahrokhi said. “We didn’t look like we skipped a beat, which was great. It showed that the guys put in some work on their own and stayed fit.”
Silva didn’t skip a beat after scoring four goals in the Broncos’ last match against McLane. In the third minute, the Cal State Northridge signee took advantage of a one-on-one with a defender. He dribbled to his left and sliced a left-footed shot past the outstretched foot of Bullard goalkeeper Juan Bonilla.
In the ninth minute, Silva curved a free kick inside the left post and out of Bonilla’s reach, scoring his second goal.
Just a minute later, Silva scored his third goal when he deflected his teammate’s free kick into the net.
Silva recorded a hat trick in the game’s first ten minutes.
“It was super crazy,” Silva said. “I’ve never done that before. We came out super strong and the first three touches I got, I scored.”
Clovis North remained aggressive and kept possession for a majority of the first half. The Broncos missed close scoring chances midway through the first half, but they broke through for two goals in the final two minutes before halftime.
In the 38th minute, junior Dylan Plunkett dribbled through two defenders and fired a shot inside the penalty box. Bonilla could not stop the shot, which came from just a few feet in front of him.
Just seconds before the halftime whistle, Silva sent a cross to the left side of the box, which Sulayman Umari finished with his right foot for a goal.
Clovis North took a 5-0 lead into halftime and added one more Silva goal in the 70th minute.
He finished with four goals and an assist, matching the predetermined number of four goals per game that Silva and the coaches set for non-league play.
At that pace, Silva would easily surpass the milestone of 100 career goals. He currently has 84 career goals with 18 scheduled games remaining.
“At this point, I think I’m trying to go over 100,” Silva said. “Maybe 110 or 120. We’ll see.”
Silva’s scoring prowess came at an opportune time for the Broncos, who promoted three junior varsity players to the varsity team Saturday, due to lack of roster depth at the start of Spring Break.
“We were missing our starting center back and one of our captains [Trevor Dundas], as well as another captain who plays striker with Christian [Kian Kheradpir],” Shahrokhi said. “I think the guys who got their chance today stepped up and did a really good job for the guys who were missing.”
Clovis North moves to 2-0 on the season and plays Tulare Western at home on Monday.