FENTON • Mike Ambersley recorded the first hat trick in AC St. Louis history Wednesday night as the home team knocked off the Portland Timbers 3-0 before a crowd of 2,256 at the Anheuser-Busch Center.

AC St. Louis improved to 5-10-4 in USSF Division-2 Pro League while Portland, which will move to Major League Soccer next year, fell to 7-6-5.

"Some games are pretty and some are ugly; tonight was a real battle for us,'' AC St. Louis coach Dale Schilly said. "Physically, they outmanned us, but we did a good job of defending, holding them off and keeping them away from the goal.

"And what can you say about Ambersley?"

A product of DeSmet High and Indiana University, Ambersley opened the scoring in the 25th minute after winning a loose-ball battle and slipping a shot past Portland keeper Steven Cronin.

Two minutes later, Ambersley made it 2-0 when he scored on a quick right-to-left volley after running onto a punt from AC St. Louis keeper Alec Dufty.

"I really think I caught (Cronin) by surprise by shooting right away," Ambersley said.

Added Schilly: "He just has a great sense of where the goal is, where the goalkeeper is and how to put the ball away.''

Dufty came up with the stop of the match in the 43rd minute, getting a hand on a low, point-blank shot from Portland's George Josten and then pouncing on the rebound.

Ambersley capped off his big night in the 57th minute, knocking in the rebound after Cronin was unable to control a low blast from AC St. Louis' Troy Cole.

"I keep telling Troy to shoot more,'' said Ambersley, who leads AC St. Louis with six league goals and eight overall. "I just had to make sure I stayed onside to knock it in.''

Dufty made three saves while posting his sixth shutout.

It was a rough night for AC St. Louis defenders. Zach Bauer (CBC/SIUE) was shaken up and left the game late in the first half after being run over as Dufty punched away a long ball into the box, and Chris Schuler, in his third game on loan from MLS' Real Salt Lake, left with a hamstring injury in the second half.

Wingback Jack Traynor (Howell North/Notre Dame) suffered a bloody mouth late in the first half and missed the first couple of minutes of the second before returning to finish the game.

Wednesday's match kicked off a five-game home stand for AC St. Louis, which hosts the Minnesota Thunder at 5:10 p.m. Sunday.