TAMPA - The last the Hillsborough County United’s boys under-16 team faced FC Orlando, it wasn’t a game HCU forward Tom Buckley would have wanted to write home about.

After getting ejected then, Buckley gained some redemption with a hat trick as HCU defeated Orlando 3-1 in the United Soccer League’s Super-Y League on Friday afternoon at the Ed Radice Sports Complex.

As HCU’s players and coaches pointed out after the game, it was a game that could and probably should have been put away early. By the time Buckley gave his team a 13th minute lead, latching onto a deft through-ball by Keith Sierra before shooting a low shot home, HCU had already squandered three golden opportunities to open the scoring.

The first came to Buckley, who had a shot palmed away. Then Kevin Carter headed against the crossbar from a well-delivered Sierra free kick, and Boris Simeunovic shot into the side-netting after being put through on the left side of the penalty area.

The missed chances almost came back to haunt HCU just before halftime as Orlando’s Yambet Fedo hit the post, and Branden Wyatt had a well struck shot from the top of the penalty area saved.

“That game should have been put away in the first half,” HCU coach Kevin McCarron said. “And that’s one where if you don’t put it away, the other team hangs in there. As many chances as we had, they hit the post and it could have been 1-1 when it should have been 3-0.”

Buckley settled a few of HCU’s nerves eight minutes into the second half. After Patrick Miller made a great run down the left flank, he cut inside, looked up and found Buckley 12 yards out. Buckley made no mistake, firing a low, left-footed shot off the right post into the net.

The goal gave HCU a cushion, but it also saw complacency seep into their game. Orlando made them pay five minutes later, when Jacob Stevenback eluded his man and shot low to cut the score to 2-1.

The goal appeared to refocus HCU, however, and Buckley completed his hat trick at the midpoint of the second half with a beautiful solo effort. After Sierra released Petar Andjelic down the right, Adjelic drove down the right side before passing to Buckley at the top of the penalty area. Buckley beat his man to the ball, cut past him to the left, brought the ball back to his right foot and curled a shot into the top right corner of the net.

HCU then controlled the remainder of the game, and took a valuable three points in the Southeast division. It will play the second game of a back-to-back sequence on the road at Sarasota on Saturday, a game Sierra said the team would be disappointed not to win.

“We’ve played them already, and they’re a fairly easy team to us,” Sierra said. “Really a point would be kind of disappointing to us, so we’re going to go for the three points.”