SCHENECTADY, NY – After the game went to the half tied at one, the host Union Dutchwomen scored a pair of goals in the third quarter to take a 3-1 lead, going on to defeat the Hartwick field hockey team by the same score on Wednesday evening. The win brings Union to 3-5 on the year, while the Hawks fall to 6-3.
Both teams scored in a first quarter that saw five total shots. Union had a penalty corner about seven minutes in that gave Charlotte Leyland a chance, but she sent a shot wide. Bella Wheeler's (Cazenovia, NY/Cazenovia) try in the 11th minute was stopped by keeper Mary Beth Rudolf, and the Dutchwomen converted on their next opportunity. Katherine Sadak sent a pass from the endline over towards the front of the cage where it was tapped in by Leyland for her third of the year at 12:50. 'Wick answered back under two minutes later off a penalty corner. Brooke Singer (Johnson City, NY/Maine-Endwell) had a shot off the corner that was targeted for the cage but was stopped via a defensive save from Eliza Munns. The Hawks stayed with it, though, as Katie Meuse (Londonderry, NH/Londonderry) gathered the ball and passed it to Allyson Quirk (Longmeadow, MA/Longmeadow) for the one-time goal at 14:33. Quirk is tied with Singer for the team lead at five goals, and leads all Hawks with 12 points.
The second quarter saw more in the way of scoring tries. Union had a shot (saved by Allyson Osborne (Nottingham, PA/Solanco)) and a pair of corners to start it off. Sydney Gagnon (Chestertown, NY/North Warren Central) countered with two shots soon after, the first of which went wide and the second of which was blocked. Two 'Wick corners late in the period led to a shot each, but those too did not find the back of the net. Two more Dutchwomen shots from Leyland in the final minute went wide and were saved, respectively. The score remained 1-all at the break.
Union came out buzzing in the third quarter, and dominated play for nearly the entire period. They had three shots and a corner in the first 3:09, and scored on their fourth try at 33:29. Leyland got her second of the night and team-high fourth of the year, sweeping the ball in to the cage off a scramble in front. Leyland kept the pressure on with shots in the 35th and 37th minutes, and then assisted on an insurance goal at 41:11. Sadak raced in for the shot off a long ball and fired it home, registering her first collegiate goal. The Hawks had a penalty corner and two shots in the final three minutes of the period, but stayed trailing by two entering the fourth.
Cristina Boudreau had the first shot of the fourth quarter, sending one wide of the Hartwick net. Quirk countered with a shot that forced a Rudolf save late in the 53rd minute and led to a corner that the Hawks could not create a shot off of. 'Wick made a valiant last-ditch effort in the final minutes, beginning with Peakes corner at 59:02 that ended with a Singer shot, Rudolf save, and another corner. Peakes again took the corner, and Singer again got a shot off that was saved with 28 seconds left. Gagnon had a great look soon after, but sent one wide right and out-of-play with 25 seconds left, eventually ending any slim chance Hartwick had to tie the game.
Singer had the Hartwick team-high with four shots (all of which went on target), one shy of her season-high. Gagnon was close behind with three tries, and Quirk had two. Osborne played the entire night in net, making four saves on seven opportunities.
Leyland absolutely dominated the entire game, sending in eight shots, including five on net, potting two goals, and registering an assist. Boudreau was the only other Dutchwomen with more than one shot, at two, while Sadak scored on her one shot and had a helper. Rudolf earned the win with six saves on seven tries throughout her sixty minutes in the cage.
Shots were tied at 13-all, and Hartwick had a slight 8-7 lead in shots on goal, but it was Union's unyielding pressure in the third quarter that proved the difference, as they outshot 'Wick 7-2 in the period. The Hawks also led in penalty corners, 8-5.
Hartwick hopes to stop their modest two-game losing streak on Saturday, when they travel to Rochester for a big Empire 8 matchup with St. John Fisher. The Hawks take on the Cardinals, who received votes in the last National Field Hockey Coaches Association poll, at 1 p.m.
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