FAIRMONT — Kaleb Hoye has a knack for scoring goals at the expense of the Southwest Minnesota Christian Eagles soccer team.

Hoye’s sharpshooting feet played an important role — a game-best hat trick and one assist — in the Fairmont Area Cardinals’ 4-0 shutout over the Eagles on Saturday at Kot Soccer Complex in Fairmont.

“Kaleb was spot-on with his shots and passes today,” said Fairmont Area head coach Brady Meyer, ” … and what about Amos’ pass to him to get the scoring started.”

Amos Broomfield drove the center lane before threading the needle both under and in between a pair of Eagles defenders to the fleet-footed Hoye. The high-scoring Cardinal senior striker rushed SWMNC goalkeeper Hunter VanderHaar before drilling a riser into the top right shelf of the net for a 1-0 lead with 33:57 remaining in the opening 40-minute half.

“We’ve been working on attacking from the outside, and that’s the difference between today’s game and the first time we played them,” Meyer said in reference to his Cardinals’ 1-0 victory over the Eagles on Sept. 19 in Edgerton. Ironically, Hoye produced the game-winning goal nine days earlier, while Fairmont Area netminder Tyson Geerdes made seven saves to pocket the shutout.

Geerdes, who recorded five saves to earn the shutout Saturday, delivered his top stop at the 34:40 juncture to keep the Eagles off the scoreboard. Micah Schaap beat the Fairmont Area defense on a left-wing breakaway and drilled a shot that Geerdes needed a fully-extended dive to knock the ball out of harm’s way.

Hoye then staked Geerdes and his Cardinal teammates to a 2-0 first-half advantage by taking a give-and-go from Juan Santana Sanz along the right point and blasted it into the webbing at the 20:42 mark.

“Our passing was a lot better today than it has been lately,” said Meyer. “Overall, this was our best all-around game so far.”

“The guys responded well after our loss on Thursday,” Meyer said in reference to a 3-1 defeat at the feet of Waseca.

Hoye then demonstrated his passing skills in the second half, driving the left wing before spotting teammate Joshua Bergt at the point. Bergt converted a leaping side kick out of mid-air to beat VanderHaar to the goalie’s left for a 3-0 lead with 31:49 remaining in regulation.

Amos Broomfield then engineered Fairmont Area’s fourth and final goal by running the point before feathering a perfect pass to Cole Christopher on the left wing. Christopher quickly tapped the ball to Hoye, who chipped his shot inside the left pipe for a four-goal lead with 17:23 remaining.

VanderHaar, who made nine saves, exited the game after getting intertwined in a collision near the doorstep on the goal. Backup goalie Jarett Kuipers then stopped the Cardinals’ final three shots on goal.

Fairmont Area (7-6-1) closes out the regular season with two games this week. The Cardinals travel to Southwest Minnesota State University on Tuesday for a 7:15 p.m. game against Marshall before playing host to Worthington at 7 p.m. Thursday night at Kot Soccer Complex.

“We’re sitting at No. 8 in the QRF standings, so hopefully we will get a home game in the section (2A),” Meyer said in reference to the system used to determine the playoff pairings.

SWMNC 0-0–0

Fairmont 2-2–4

Scoring Plays

1st Half

FA–Kaleb Hoye (Amos Broomfield), 33:57.

FA–Kaleb Hoye (Juan Santana Sanz), 20:42.

2nd Half

FA–Joshua Bergt (Kaleb Hoye), 31:49.

FA–Kaleb Hoye (Cole Christopher), 17:23.

Shots on goal: Fairmont Area 6-10–16; Southwest Minnesota Christian 2-3–5. Corners: Fairmont Area 1; SWMNC 0.

Saves: Tyson Geerdes (FA) 5; Hunter VanderHaar (SWMNC) 9, Jarett Kuipers (SWMNC) 3.

Fairmont Area edged Southwest Minnesota Christian, 1-0, during junior varsity action Saturday at Kot Soccer Complex.

The Cardinals’ Kenner Cruz Aguilar netted the contest’s only goal, while Fairmont Area goalkeeper Alex Wannarka garnered the shutout.