Chicago Fire FC academy prospect and Indiana University freshman forward Victor Bezerra made a huge splash at the NCAA tournament on Sunday, netting a hat trick that accounted for all of the game's goals in a 3-0 victory over the University of Kentucky that sent the Hoosiers through to the Sweet 16.
Bezerra got his first of the afternoon in the 21st minute, before adding his second on the half-hour mark and tallying the dagger in the 63rd.
Bezerra, a Chicago native, starred at the U-15, U-16, U-17 and U-18 levels for the Fire, racking up 58 goals in 100 games from 2015-2019 before committing to Indiana. He's flashed the lethal finishing ability that allowed him to establish himself as such an enticing prospect at times this season, scoring five times in 19 games coming into the tournament before breaking out with Sunday's three-goal outburst.
Indiana is in the midst of an excellent 2019 campaign, with this latest win moving the team's record on the season to 14-2-4. Bezerra and the Hoosiers will now set their sights on a berth in the Elite Eight as they await the winner of the second-round matchup between UC Santa Barbara and Saint Mary's.
