By Kieran Nashad
Correspondent
The field hockey team celebrated homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 27 with a 4-1 victory over Stockton University on a wet and rainy night.
Prior to the game, the team honored its graduating seniors, midfielder/defender Sidney Padilla and defender Jackie Schwartz.
Roughly five minutes in, sophomore forward Tori Tiefenthaler gave the Lions the lead after deflecting a shot taken by Padilla.
From then on, both teams displayed brilliant athleticism as the Lions looked to further their lead and Stockton hoped to level the score.
With less than 10 minutes remaining in the first half, junior forward Tori Hannah doubled the lead with another shot from a corner with assists from both Padilla and Tiefenthaler. Tiefenthaler scored her final goal of the night, resulting in a three-goal lead for the Lions going into halftime.
With just under 29 minutes left in the second half, sophomore midfielder Samantha Reed charged down the right side of the field and passed the ball back infield where junior forward Cayla Andrews fired a shot into Stockton’s goal to give the Lions a 4-0 lead.
There were just a little more than 10 minutes left in the game when Stockton forward Sarah Fisher scored a goal that briefly boosted Stockton’s momentum. Its sole goal was short-lived, and it proved to be a mere consolation as the Lions controlled the final minutes of the game.
The game was a dominant display by the Lions, who outshot Stockton 16-3 with 11 shots on goal.
This win brings the Lions to 13-3 for the season and to 4-2 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference, where they are currently seeded at third behind 5-1 Montclair State and an undefeated Rowan University in first.
The Lions are currently on a three-game winning-streak which they hope to continue in an away game against Montclair State University on Wednesday, Oct. 31 in the first round of the NJAC Field Hockey Championship.
