After a tough loss to nationally ranked #11 Temple University, the field hockey team concluded their four game road trip by competing in their home opener on Sunday, September 16. Taking on the Lehigh University Mountain Hawks at “So Sweet A Cat Field,” the MU Hawks claimed their first win of the season.
MU dominated the field in the first half, putting seven shots on goal. Senior defender Alex Carroll got the ball rolling as she scored the first goal off of a corner play fifteen minutes into the game. Shortly after, Lehigh forward Lindsey Schott got herself a two minute penalty putting the Mountain Hawks down a player on the field.
With good drive going, and a one player advantage, the Hawks scored again after Carroll passed the ball off to senior midfielder Trish O’Dwyer on another corner play. This gave MU a 2-0 lead at halftime.
In the second half the Hawks got right back to work earning their third goal of the game after a Lehigh defender knocked the ball into her own goal. A yellow card on Mountain Hawks forward Caitlyn Mitchell gave the MU their second one player advantage which led to another goal by forward Chelsea Mann. This was Mann’s first goal of the season putting the team up 4-0.
As the game began to come to a close, Lehigh got themselves back in the competition scoring two goals back to back with around ten minutes left on the clock.
The first was scored by Lehigh freshman Marissa Glatt after she deflected the ball in mid-air. Shortly after, MU fouled in the box setting up the penalty shot that would give Lehigh their second goal. With things getting a little too close for comfort, MU head coach Carli Figlio called a time-out to regroup. The Hawks were able to hold off the Mountain Hawks for the remainder of the game earning them their very first win of 2013. Their record stands at 1-4.
“It feels great to win, especially at home, and the most important thing was that we played as a team,” Figlio said of her first victory in the season.
According to the statistics, no one player for MU was vital to the win, but instead everyone was needed. Every goal was scored by a different player, and junior goalkeeper Amanda Westerweller allowed two goals despite Lehigh’s twelve shots on goal. With the momentum from Sunday’s win, the team looks to move forward and continue their winning streak.
“If we continue to take steps, move forward, and maintain fitness, we are sure to have a great season ahead, especially in our new conference,” Figlio said.
Much like most of MU’s athletic teams, the Hawks field hockey team have left the Northeast Conference (NEC) for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).
According to senior defender Alex Carroll, “A non-conference win is really important because it prepares us for our games ahead against conference rivals from the MAAC,” she said. They will play their first MAAC opponent on Friday, October 18 against Siena College.
Their upcoming games include Friday, September 20 against the Liberty Flames and Sunday, September 22 against the Towson Tigers. Both contest will be played at home with start times of 3 pm and 12 pm respectively.
