The last time women's soccer midfielder Mimi Theodore '12 recorded a hat trick, she was back playing for Walpole High School in Walpole, Mass. Theodore remembers that game pretty well."It was against Milton [High School], and actually I was going through a rut at that time, so after that game [it] kind of brought back my confidence, and I was able to start scoring again," Theodore said.

The Judges hope that Theodore's first collegiate hat trick will have a similar impact, as Theodore scored three goals in Brandeis' 5-1 win over Clark University last Sunday.

After last Sunday's win, her teammates all surrounded and congratulated her, but Theodore was quick to compliment her teammates on their playing as well.

"It's really nice [seeing her teammates' reaction to her hat trick]," she said. "It was definitely a full team effort, so it's kind of like everyone was celebrating because I think everyone knew just how well we had played."

The three goals moved Theodore into second place on the team's season scoring list with eight points.

Her three goals and two assists already match her total from all of last season, when she started 12 of the team's 22 games.

"This year I've been playing a lot more up top [and] it's given me more opportunities. [Forwards Melissa Gorenkoff '10 and Tiffany Pacheco '11] are obviously great to play with, and I've learned this year how they're playing more and what kind of passes they make and I've been able to feed off them a lot better this year."

Besides adjusting to her teammates, Theodore also feels more comfortable in her second year under the tutelage of head coach Denise Dallamora and assistant Kerry O'Malley.

"It definitely helps knowing how [Dallamora and O'Malley] coach and just how the whole team in general plays. I've just gotten a better idea of what my role is and what I have to do," Theodore said.