CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Charles Touche notched the men's soccer team's first hat trick in more than six years, and the Big Red effectively defended its recent move into the national rankings with a 4-2 victory over Harvard on Saturday afternoon at Jordan Field.
 
The victory is fifth straight for Cornell (8-2, 2-0 Ivy League), which ascended to No. 1 in the Northeast and No. 24 in the nation in last week's United Soccer Coaches poll. Touche's hat trick was the first for a Cornell player since Sept. 9, 2012, when Daniel Haber scored three times in the Big Red's 4-0 win over Buffalo. Harry Fuller scored the other goal Saturday for the Big Red, which never trailed.

"I thought we created a number of looks on their goal today, and it was great to put four away on them," head coach John Smith said. "I know the conversation will be centered around a very impressive hat trick from Charles, but it was also a really strong performance from our back four that helped us toward the win."
 
Touche got rolling in just the game's 10th minute. Tyler Bagley served a free kick from along the left sideline that found Touche in the middle of the box, where he deflected a header past the helpless Crimson goalkeeper.
 
A mishit clearing attempt from the back line allowed Harvard (3-7, 1-1) to pull even in the 38th minute, when Nico Garcia-Morillo collected and converted from 18 yards.
 
Touche's second strike just 2:38 into the second half put Cornell back in front. On a clear one-on-one with a defender coming off the left side, he cut to the middle and fired a low shot between the sliding defender's legs and inside the far post. He capped off the hat trick in the 73rd minute by cleaning up a rebound when John Scearce's blast from 25 yards was pushed onto the bar, only to bound back in front.
 
Harvard briefly rekindled hopes in the 83rd minute on a a goal by Alfred Perez, but Cornell restored the two-goal cushion just 56 seconds later. Szabolcs Wikell directed a deft pass into space to put Caleb McAuslan around the left edge of the defense, and his feet got tangled with a retreating Harvard player to draw the PK. Fuller converted from the spot with a low bullet inside the left post.
 
Cornell returns to non-league play in its next action, traveling to regional rival Colgate for a match at 7 p.m. Tuesday. The game will be broadcast on the Patriot League Network.