Elijah Sheperd is a force to be reckoned with on the back line. But, on Sept. 27 against Fulton, he proved just how dangerous he can be up top as well.

The Warrenton junior scored his first hat trick to lift his team to an 8-0 win. 

“I haven’t been playing the best recently and I wanted to step it up, get a few more goals and have an overall better game than what I’ve been having recently,” Sheperd said. 

Sheperd, who typically plays as a wing defender, showcased his offensive instincts early and often against the Hornets. 

With a large depth in the forward and midfield positions this season, coach John Schulte shifted the versatile junior to defense. 

“Anytime I get a chance to move him up into that offensive spot, I’m looking for those opportunities and he does a great job when he’s out there – lots of hustle, lots of intensity and puts the ball on frame,” Schulte said. 

Sheperd came into the match against the Hornets with just one goal. In the contest, he was able to capitalize on space the Fulton defense left.

“They didn’t play enough man and shoulder to shoulder coverage. They left us open to have the space, and we were just faster than them in a foot race to goal,” Sheperd said. 

While Sheperd has transitioned to defense this season, he is enjoying playing in the final third as well. 

“I feel a little more confident in how I play and how I work with my team, and how my teammates work with me,” Sheperd said. 

Schulte touted the junior’s versatility, noting the value he brings in both positions. 

“He’s got a lot of intensity and hustle, so he’s able to get back and fight people off the ball and that’s exactly what we need back there,” Schulte said. 

The smile was apparent on Sheperd’s face as players shouted out to him, “Was that three?” after he slotted a ball into the back of the net to cement his first career hat trick. 

“The times that he’s been up there, he’s had great shots and today was another example of him being in the right spot, working hard and it is paying off,” Schulte said. 

Sheperd was not the only Warrior to break through. 

Senior Isaac Wagner scored four goals, while Hudson Kieffer added the eighth with a one-on-one finish with the goalie. Goalkeeper Rylee McGee secured his fifth shutout of the season.

“We’ve been working on spreading out, moving the ball around and trying not to do too much. We found the open guy and moved off of that, so they did a great job with that today,” Schulte said. 

As the Warriors entered the game with two back-to-back losses in which they scored only one goal, Schulte focused practices on offensive movement. 

“At times, we were stagnant in the middle of the field and we tried to put it down their throat at the top of the box, so we were working on trying to get wide and come from those wide angles,” Schulte said. 

Schulte and Sheperd agreed its dominant win came at an important time for the Warriors. 

“It will definitely be a positive (thing) moving forward and it will keep our confidence up for our next game,” Sheperd said. 

“We fell short the last couple of games and didn’t play to our ability, so it’s great to come out and put some goals in again. They’re playing well again and they played with some confidence,” Schulte added. 

As Warrenton hits the midway point of its season, Schulte is looking forward to seeing how his team responds to some solid competition. 

“We have some tough teams coming up and I think that’s going to be good for us to grow as a team. We’ll have to really work and play better, so the competitiveness is going to be good for us,” Schulte said. 

The Warriors improved to 7-2 and will play in the Stage 1 GAC Cup on Oct. 7. Warrenton’s opponent is yet to be determined.