By Jhett Laurie
Sports Editor
The College’s field hockey team got off to a hot start securing two victories, including a double-overtime thriller against Catholic University.
The season got off to a start on Sept. 2, with the Lions traveling down to Washington, D.C. to take on Catholic. It was a tough matchup from the start, with the Lions only recording their first shot 10 minutes into the game. Despite that, the team’s defense held out, limiting Catholic to just one shot on goal.
Senior Jadyn Huff decided to start her season off hot, picking up the Lions first goal early in the second period. Huff was able to slip the ball past the Cardinals’ goalie on a penalty stroke. The offense fell silent after this, with Catholic taking the majority of possession for the remainder of regular time.
The third period saw a masterclass from graduate Brigitte Racey, as she recorded three saves in just three minutes as Catholic attempted five penalty corners. The Lions offense rallied and attempted two shots of their own, yet none were able to find the back of the cage.
With just eight minutes remaining in the game, the Cardinals were able to find a hole in the Lions defense, recording the tying goal on a corner. A last-second corner attempt from Catholic was shut down by the defense and overtime began.
Something seems to have clicked for a struggling Lions offense, as Huff took over once the first overtime period began. She recorded two shots on goal, attempting to break the stalemate. None of these shots were able to sneak past the goalie, and the second overtime period began.
Their offense did not let up, as the Lions continued to dominate Catholic into the second overtime period. A litany of shots from freshmen Jillian Tetzlaff and Avery Gower, along with senior Isabel Maher pounded the Catholic goalie. Huff was able to secure the golden goal with only three minutes remaining, securing her second goal on the day.
The Lions have now won eight of their last nine matchups against the Cardinals with every game occurring on opening day. Racey notched her 250th career save, placing her fourth all-time for saves in Lions history.
“The hard work we’ve been putting in together every day at practice has contributed to out strong start of the season,” said Senior Captain Isabel Maher, “we’ve given every practice our highest levels of effort, and it’s paid off.”
The team’s second win came on Sept. 5 against DeSales University. The Lions put on a dominant performance with their offensive attack, racking up 32 shots on goal. DeSales only managed to get off six shots in response, proving that the Lion’s defense is going to be a threat this season.
Tetzlaff claimed her first start and likely solidified her role in the lineup by securing the Lion’s lone goal early in the second period.
The team kept the pressure on, attempting 11 penalty corners through the final two periods. While none of them were able to find the mark, the offense’s pressure left Racey to have a quiet day in goal. Of the six shots that DeSales took, three were saved by Racey.
The Lion’s win helped move them up in the rankings, claiming the No. 22 spot before they traveled down to No. 4 Johns Hopkins on Sept. 12 in hopes of shaking up the rankings.
