MANSFIELD – The Mansfield University field hockey team used six second-half goals and a shutout to open the 2021 season with a 6-0 non-conference victory over Saint Michael's College in game one of the Dr. Art Denegero Classic in front of a packed crowd at Karl Van Norman Field on Saturday afternoon, Sept. 4.
Following a slow first-half offensively, the Mounties (1-0 overall) came out of the locker room clicking on all cylinders to score all six of their goals, while remaining impenetrable on defense.
In the second half, sophomore
Saramae Radel ended the drought with her first goal of the season to give the Mounties a 1-0 lead. The sophomore gathered her own rebound and fired a missile to beat the keeper left. Sophomore
Olivia Wagner made it 2-0 three minutes later after capitalizing on a penalty shot.
Sophomore
Alex Esterling joined the party with goals in the 40
th and 47
th-minute to extend the Mountaineer lead to 4-0.
The Mounties put the game out of reach in the final period with their fifth and sixth goals off the sticks of sophomores
Kalin Duke and
Ashtyn Price. Radel sent a bullet pace to Duke who deflected the shot past the keeper, while sophomore
Alexis Bell was credited with the assist on the goal by Price.
The Mounties had 17 shots in the third period, matching their entire total from the first half, and added four more in the fourth to outshoot the Purple Knights, 36-14. MU also won the battle of the corners, 36-14.
Junior
Hailey Boda and sophomore
August Lewis combined for five saves and a shutout over 60 minutes. Boda entered the game in the second half and made three saves to earn her first victory.
Riley O'Conner made a game-high eight saves and Nacole Barrett fired a team-high nine shots to lead the Purple Knights (0-1 overall).
The Mounties return to Karl Van Norman Field tomorrow afternoon to wrap-up the Dr. Art Degenero Classic at 2 p.m. with a non-conference showdown with Southern Connecticut State University.
