Catie Merrick (Owings Mills, Md./Garrison Forest) logged her third hat trick of the season as she helped the Denison University field hockey team snap a five-game losing streak with an impressive 7-0 victory over the Quakers of Earlham College on Friday afternoon in Richmond, Ind.

Merrick opened the scoring in the 13th minute when she hammered home a pass from sophomore Devon Satnick (Westport, Conn./Brien McMahon).  Just five minutes later, the reigning North Coast Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Year scored her 10th goal of 2010 off a pass from Hilary Zdanowski (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer).

In the 24th minute of action, first-year Alex Berman (Winnetka, Ill./New Trier) became the first DU player not named Merrick to record a tally this season.  Berman's first collegiate goal came off an assist from Satnick.  The Big Red's final score of the opening half came off the stick of rookie Kerianne Sullivan (Chatham, N.J./Chatham) in the 33rd minute.

In the second period, Denison continued to apply the offensive pressure.  Like she did in the first half, Merrick scored DU's first goal of the frame in the 37th minute.  First-year players Tonie Michaels (Dousman, Wis./University Lake School) and Mia Day (Fredericksburg, Va./James Monroe) rounded out the Big Red scoring attack with goals in the 59th and 68th minutes, respectively.

Merrick's three-goal performance was the fifth of her career and second in as many games.  Satnick finished the night with three assists, while Zdanowski added two helpers.  Thanks to a solid performance by the Denison backline, sophomore goalie Brittany Benson (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) only needed to make one stop on the day.

The Big Red improve to 2-5 overall and 1-2 in the NCAC, while the Quakers fall to 2-4 on the season and 0-4 in league play.  DU returns to action on Wednesday (Sept. 22) when they travel to Springfield, Ohio to take on the Tigers of Wittenberg University.  Game time is scheduled for 5 p.m.