NATCHITOCHES – Senior forward Brittany Caserma thrashed her way into the scoring column Sunday with her second career hat trick as Northwestern State bested ULM, 5-2.

Caserma, NSU's leading goal scorer from 2017, missed the first two games of the season and didn't score in the next two before tallying three goals Sunday.

Caserma knocked in NSU's first goals in the first 27 minutes to build a lead that the Lady Demons (3-2) didn't relinquish to the Warhawks (0-6).

"I was able to get to the 50-50 balls today with this being our first and only game of the week," Caserma said. "My confidence was up after being able to play and get more comfortable with everybody on the team, and everybody felt really confident on the ball today.

"We weren't trying to force anything."

Caserma produced her first career hat trick in the 2017 opener against LSU-Shreveport.

The Murrieta, California, native pushed NSU out to a quick 2-0 with a header goal in the 20^th minute and a loose ball goal in the 27^th minute.

"We got to see the impact Caserma has and what she's able to do," said NSU co-head coach Jess Jobe. "Those scrappy moments where she's willing to fight and use those physical attributes to win those balls.

"Her first goal was a fantastic header, and she wasn't taking no for answer. Any time you get a hat trick, that's fantastic."

With Caserma's hat trick, she vaults into NSU's top 10 in career goals (19) and points (40).

Freshman forward Jalen Donaldson had both assists on Caserma's first two goals. Donaldson crossed a ball in the box that found Caserma's head and then fired a ball into the box that Caserma connected with.

Donaldson leads NSU with three assists this season and has five points overall.

The Lady Demons haven't scored at least five goals since the 2017 opener against NAIA member LSUS (12 goals). The last time NSU scored five goals against a Division I member was in 2015 against Alcorn State (eight goals).

NSU had two career firsts Sunday as Natalee Henry and Norma Trejo each scored goals.

Henry's goal ended up being the game-winner as she finished an April Trowbridge cross from close range in front of the goal to give NSU a 3-0 lead in the 41^st minute.

"It felt good to get in and get on the ball," Henry said. "It was a great assist by Trowbridge, and we deserved this goal and all the other goals we scored today.

"I was seeing a wide open goal after Trowbridge found me."

ULM responded in the final minutes of the first half with a Mackenzie Bell goal, her first of two goals on the day.

But NSU put an exclamation mark on the win in the opening minutes of the second half after Caserma headed in a ball to rebound a Jayden Wheeler shot. 
NSU led 4-1 in the 49^th minute.

The Warhawks, who took a strong McNeese squad to overtime Friday, stayed within striking range when Bell's second goal sliced the lead to 4-2 in the 60^th minute.

But Trejo capped the win by finishing a goal after Caserma collided with ULM goalkeeper Bre Truscott in the 77^th minute.

"It feels amazing. I was talking to my teammate (Kiara Padilla) on the sideline, and she said that I better score one," Trejo said. "Shout out to Kiara.
"When the play happened, I was thinking I had to make this. The goal was wide open, so if I missed it, it would have been terrible. But luckily I made it."

NSU logged its first home of the season to start a five-match home stretch. Up next is Southern on Friday at 7 p.m.