By Dan DiLizia, Staff Writer
The Susquehanna field hockey team lost 4-2 in a tough game against York College on Sept. 25 in York, Pa. despite an early lead.
York went on the offensive at the start, getting off four shots in the first quarter. Susquehanna senior goal keeper Emily DiGaetano made three saves to keep the game scoreless heading into the second quarter.
The River Hawks scored the first goal of the game in the second frame on an unassisted shot by sophomore midfielder Samantha Banks. The goal marked her first of the season.
York responded quickly, tying the game just 45 seconds later as senior midfielder Meghan Heary slipped past a pair of Susquehanna defenders and found the back of the net to tie the game at 1-1 going into halftime.
The score remained steady for most of the third quarter until freshman defender Reese Hardman scored on a penalty stroke to give the Spartans the 2-1 lead with three minutes remaining in the quarter.
DiGaetano and junior defender Gabby Martin kept up the game close on defense for Susquehanna. DiGaetano had five saves, while Martin had one, marking her second defensive save of the season.
The River Hawks stepped up three minutes later to score again on a penalty corner. Martin found the back of the net on an assist from sophomore defender Annalee Smith to tie the game 2-2. Both teams totaled nine penalty corners.
The fourth quarter was all the rage for the Spartans, who scored two more goals to win the contest. The team’s final two goals were scored by junior midfielder Dana Meehling and Heary, marking the final score at 4-2.
“We played York and lost 4-2, but this didn’t reflect how we played,” sophomore midfielder Kelsey Murray said. “There were two strokes called which impacted the game, but we played well, feeling good going into conference.”
York achieved some firsts for the season, with Heary scoring her first and second goals of the season and Hardman also picking up her first.
Susquehanna racked up seven total shots, four of which were on goal. York produced 12 shots, 10 being on goal.
Despite the loss, the team remains positive. “I think our team is starting to connect a lot more, we tried a new formation which I think will help,” sophomore foward Allyson Heard said.
The River Hawks bounced back with a 4-0 win at home over Landmark Conference rival Elizabethtown on Sept. 28 .
Three different players were able to score during the duration of the contest, the first being senior forward Hunter Pitman, who scored during the second quarter to give the River Hawks momentum and a 1-0 advantage.
Banks was the second to score via an assist from senior forward Heather Casey. This would be Banks’ second goal of the season, while Casey recorded her second assist.
Pitman scored yet again during the third quarter, giving Susquehanna a comfortable 3-0 lead and bringing her total goals for this season up to nine.
Junior forward Jenn Sabbak was the last to score for Susquehanna off an assist from Heard to land the fourth and final goal of the game.
The River Hawks performance was solid across the board, as DiGaetano only had to make three saves. In addition to DiGaetano, senior defender Ciara Middleton and junior midfielder Vivan Simone also contributed to the defensive efforts, as both picked up their second defensive saves of the season. Senior defender Anna Dietl also recorded her first defensive save of the season.
Offensively, both Sabbak and Banks picked up their second goals of the season. Susquehanna held the lead in penalty corners, forcing four to the Blue Jays’ two.
Looking ahead, Susquehanna will continue Landmark Conference play with an up- coming match against Moravian College at 1 p.m. on Oct. 5 in Bethlehem, Pa. Moravian is currently 3-8 on the season and will be looking to earn their first Landmark Conference victory for the 2019 season.
