Field Hockey Splits Home Openers

Senior back Emily Howell scored two goals against Mercyhurst last Saturday. Photo Credit / Ronald Hanaki Senior back Emily Howell scored two goals against Mercyhurst last Saturday. Photo Credit / Ronald Hanaki
Senior back Emily Howell scored two goals against Mercyhurst last Saturday. Photo Credit / Ronald Hanaki
Senior back Emily Howell scored two goals against Mercyhurst last Saturday.
Photo Credit / Ronald Hanaki

Ronald Hanaki
Sports Editor

ESU’s field hockey team split its first two games at home by routing the Mercyhurst Lakers 7-0 on Saturday but falling to the LIU Post Pioneers 0-1 on Monday. Both were non-conference games.

Last week, senior forward Robin Stevenson was named PSAC Field Hockey Athlete of the Week for the first week of the season, and she continued her stellar play against Mercyhurst. Stevenson led ESU with four goals.

Senior back Emily Howell scored two goals, and sophomore Bailey Quinn scored the first goal of her young college career to pace ESU.

The Warriors showed their dominance by outshooting the Lakers 45-1 and by having a 21-0 advantage in penalty corners.

The defending national champions could do no wrong against Mercyhurst.

The Warriors had such complete control of the game that head coach Sandy Miller felt comfortable enough to put her backup goalkeepers Halle Frisco and Maddie Richie into the game.

None of ESU’s goalkeepers faced a shot-on-goal in the entire game.

But things were not as easy for ESU against LIU Post in Monday’s game.

Just about all of the action in the first half of the game against LIU Post took place on ESU’s offensive end of the field. ESU outshot LIU Post 5-1, but the first half ended in a scoreless tie.

Two minutes into the second half, LIU Post senior Melissa Quintanilla’s shot got between ESU goakeeper Danielle Ard’s stick and the right goalpost for the only score of the game.

ESU trailed 0-1, but the Warriors had almost the entire second half to get back into the game.

However, despite outshooting the Pioneers 11-2 in the second half, the Warriors just couldn’t break through for the tying goal.

ESU’s Howell did all she could for the Warriors in getting off seven shots in the second half.

As the game neared the end, the Warriors grew increasingly desperate to get the equalizer. Much like the first half, most of the action in the second half took place on ESU’s offensive side of the field.

Following an ESU timeout, the action was fast and furious in the last several minutes of the game.

ESU’s best chance to tie the game came in the last three minutes. Howell’s shot was kick-saved by LIU Post goalkeeper

Ericka Parks, but the rebound came out to Howell again who passed the ball to Bailey Quinn, who was wide open on the left flank.

LIU Post’s Parks came out of the goal and charged Quinn in order to block a possible shot attempt, but Quinn’s shot got past the goalkeeper for what looked like an ESU goal only to be blocked by the stick of an LIU Post defender.

Quinn’s shot was ESU’s best chance for the equalizer.

ESU had another scoring chance with two minutes left in the game, but Howell’s shot from the center of the field ten yards out was deflected by an LIU Post player and sailed harmlessly over the top of the scoreboard.

The Warriors (3-2) return to action on Saturday when they play the Shippensburg Raiders on the road.

Email Ronald at:
rhanaki@live.esu.edu