SALISBURY, Md. - The Salisbury University men's soccer team remained perfect at home (7-0-1) with its 10th win of the season behind a hat tick from sophomore forward Kyle Sterling with a 5-3 victory against out of conference foe Christopher Newport University on Wednesday afternoon at the SU Soccer Complex.

With the victory SU head coach Gerry DiBartolo earned his 299th career win at Salisbury. DiBartolo is now in his 26th season  and sports a 299-149-35 all-time record. He has won five Capital Athletic Conference championships and has guided the Gulls to six NCAA tournament appearances, one final four and three quarterfinal rounds.

The victory was a big in-region win for the Sea Gulls (10-4-1, 5-1 CAC), who entered the game ranked No. 8 in the South Region. The Captains (10-5) came into the game ranked No. 6 in the region.

Salisbury scored three second half man-down goals to seal the win. The Sea Gulls were powered by Sterling's seven-point performance (three goals, one assist) as he notched his first collegiate hat trick and only his second multi-goal game of the season. He scored twice in the first half with the latter goal coming off a cross by freshman Chas Gray which Sterling headed the ball into the back left corner of the net. The two teams went into the intermission tied at 2-2.

Christopher Newport took a quick 1-0 lead 15 seconds into the game with a floating chip shot by Michael Caro which slipped through the hands of SU goalie Greg Wellinghoff (three saves). Caro registered CNU's first two scores before he received a red card in the beginning of the second half on a breakaway by junior Romaine Bruney which caused the Captains to play over 40 minutes of man-down soccer.

Up a man SU broke open the game with back-to-back goals. Freshman Mike Napolitano scored on a scramble in front of the net off an assist from Bruney. Five minutes later Alex Hargrove recorded the eventual game-winner with a blast past CNU goalie Matt Tengs (four saves). Hargrove's goal was set-up by Sterling. The Captains inched closer with their third goal in the 74th minute but would not get any closer. Sterling capped off the game in grand fashion with his third and final goal in the 90th minute with a shot in the lower left corner of the net.

Salisbury will return to action this Saturday, October 20, as it will host Capital Athletic Conference newcomer Hood College on Senior Day at 2 p.m.