PASADENA, Calif. — Saul Uribe notched the first hat trick of his career to lift the University of La Verne men's soccer team past Caltech, 4-1, on Wednesday evening at South Field.

La Verne improves to 9-3-1 overall and 7-3-1 in the SCIAC. Caltech falls to 0-12-0 and 0-11-0.

Uribe now has 10 goals on the season and is currently tied with Chase Boone of Redlands for the league lead in goals.

It was all La Verne from the whistle.

Justin Funes forced Caltech goalkeeper J.D. Feist into an early save just five minutes in to the game and the Leopards earned a corner kick shortly thereafter. Nicholas Lamar, who got the start at right back, played a good through ball to Uribe off the corner kick and Uribe finessed one to the far post to put the Leopards on the board in the seventh minute.

La Verne kept pouring on shots and Uribe notched his second marker just eight minutes later. Funes was released on the right wing and, just like he did against Occidental on Saturday, he drove all the way to the end line, crossed it across the goal and found Uribe, who converted the easy goal.

Funes found the net himself in the 30th minute when he collected a blocked shot and drove it to far post from the right to give the Leopards a 3-0 lead heading into the break.

The Beavers broke through in the 62nd minute when Tristan Nee scored on a nice curler from the top of the box but Uribe had an answer for it just 10 minutes later. Uribe was fed a nice through ball by Justin Almandinger for a 1-on-1 against Feist and he calmly rolled it under the goalie for his third goal.

La Verne outshot Caltech, 25-12, and drew five more corner kicks. The Leopards played 27 players and three goalies saw action.

The Leopards are back in action on Saturday at Chapman.