Box Score
SELINSGROVE, Pa. – Three hours after the original start
time, the Susquehanna field hockey team had endured two-and-a-half
hours of action only to fall short to Elizabethtown in penalty
strokes, 3-2.
In one of the their most action-packed games to date, the
Crusaders (4-4) twice came back to tie the score and eventually
force overtime, but the Blue Jays (4-2) triumphed in penalty
strokes to grab the win. Elizabethtown controlled the offensive
tempo, out-shooting SU by a 20-8 margin and taking 14 corners to
Susquehanna's three.
Susquehanna goalies Margaret Ruth and
Erin Ferguson both split time in goal with Ruth
getting the call for the penalty strokes.
Ally Bradley had two assists for the Crusaders
while Laurel Monaghan and Allison
Abey provided the scoring for SU.
After scoring opportunities were limited for both sides in the
early going, the two teams both found the back of the cage within a
two-minute span. Elizabethtown struck first when Liz DeMatteis
knocked in teammate Nadine Yunginger's shot that had
rebounded off the cage to put her squad up 1-0.
Less than two minutes later, the Crusaders found themselves on
the scoreboard. Bradley took a corner and directed her pass to
Diana Mask. Mask deflected the ball to Monaghan
who put it past Blue Jays goalie Lindy Hamp for the equalizer.
SU's Rebecca Entwistle received a yellow
card with three seconds left in the opening half, putting the
Crusaders down a player for 10 minutes, as the penalty lasted 9:57
into the second half.
Susquehanna withstood being a man down but twenty-one minutes
into the second half, Elizabethtown's Nadine Yunginger made
it 2-1 after knocking the ball past Ruth during a scramble in front
of the cage.
However, SU was not done scoring. Ten minutes later, Abey scored
the equalizer following another Bradley assist to help force
overtime.
Emotions ran high during the overtime periods, with two yellow
cards handed out to SU and fast-paced action on the field, but
solid goalie play prevented the decisive goal from being
scored.
The strokeoffs were highlighted by several spectacular saves
from both goalies, but the Blue Jays' Julie Foster scored the
ultimate game winner to end the game after 115 minutes of
action.
Next game: Saturday, Sept. 25 vs. Catholic at 1 p.m.
(Landmark Conference opener)
