By Nick Forbes Asst. sports editor
The Susquehanna field hockey team played three games in a four-day window while the University was on fall break, winning all three games.
On Oct.15, rival Drew came to Susquehanna to face off against the Hawks. The River Hawks delivered against the tough Drew defense, winning 3-0.
The game was scoreless until the 22nd minute, when freshman forward Hunter Pitman got a pass from sophomore forward Taylor Franco and delivered a strike past the Drew goalkeeper.
Pitman later repayed the favor to Franco in the 34th minute, setting Franco up nicely to score the third and final goal of the game for Susquehanna.
Freshman midfielder Heather Casey scored the second goal for the River Hawks, emphasizing the plethora of young talent that the team currently has.
Susquehanna outshot Drew substantially, firing 18 shots, while Drew managed just seven. Only one of Drew’s shots came in the first half.
Head Coach Kaitlyn Wahila was proud of the way her team played, especially with a long road game in the near future.
“Being able to shut out a team and put three goals in was crucial for our game play going into New York,” she said.
On Oct. 17, the team packed their bags and headed to New York to square off against Keuka College, where the River Hawks unleashed an offensive barrage, dominating the Wolves 6-1.
The scoring came early and often for Susquehanna, who delivered five goals in the first half alone to set themselves up with a comfortable lead. Once again, Pitman was a crucial part of the offense, scoring once and adding two more assists. Sophomore forwards Raquel Ramos and Stephanie Sachs eached added goals for Susquehanna as young talent shone once again.
Senior midfielder Lauren Cram had also had two assists for the River Hawks.
Susquehanna defeated Ithaca on Oct. 18 to earn its eighth straight victory and ninth in its last 10 games. The teams were locked at two before back-to-back goals from junior forward Jordan Burkepile and Franco gave Susquehanna the separation it needed.
Susquehanna would not have been in such good position if it had not been for senior forward Emily Novakovich, who scored the team’s first two points.
Freshman goalkeeper Emily DiGaetano recorded the best game of her young career, playing 70 minutes and recording 12 saves. After the Bombers scored again to make the score 4-3, Pitman once again delivered, scoring the final goal of the game and sealing the victory.
“Going into the Ithaca game we knew it would be a true test of our ability to hold defensively and be able to execute our game plan from top to bottom for 70 minutes,” Wahila said.
“We are so proud of our team for performing so well over a four-day period and coming out 3-0.”
The River Hawks will travel to Elizabethtown on Saturday, Oct. 22 to face the Blue Jays.
