The Lions' field hockey team started the season on a two-game winning streak as they blanked Ithaca College 6-0 on Sunday and sailed to an easy 8-1 win over Millersville University on Friday.
"I think everything did fall into place," head coach Sharon Pfluger said. "It was a great start for the girls; they played well together."
Both junior defender Ashleigh Pecherski and senior forward Allie Greene added hat tricks to the Lions' scoring efforts. Greene tallied three goals and two assists in the win against Millersville, while Pecherski notched three goals against Ithaca to make her the team's leading goal scorer thus far this season. She has four goals in two games.
Sophomore forward Katie Reuther contributed two goals against Ithaca and one against Millersville.
In the 8-1 victory over Millersville, Greene tallied all of her points in the first half of the game. Five other Lions added to the scoring efforts in the win.
Following Greene's goal 7:09 into the first half, Reuther scored on an assist from Greene only 31 seconds later to go up 2-0. Freshman midfielder Jessica Falcone got in on the action as she added a goal, her first for the College, on an assist from Greene. Pecherski followed with an unassisted goal to give the Lions a 4-0 cushion.
Greene tallied her next two goals back-to-back near the end of the first half. Sophomore midfielder Jackie Gelinas had the assist on Greene's third goal.
Sophomore midfielder Melissa Buttray and senior forward Jess Berkowitz added a goal each in the game, while senior goalkeeper Erin Mitschke made three saves in net. Freshman goalkeeper Amy Drackwicz saw some action and made one save in the contest.
"I was happy to get the opportunity to get players in the game," Pfluger said. "We got 27 players in the game, which is rare. We got a jump on them and maintained the lead; it was a really great team effort."
In the 6-0 shutout win over Ithaca, four Lions had a part in scoring for the College. Along with Pecherski's hat trick and Reuther's two-goal game, the Lions benefited from a goal by Berkowitz and an assist by Falcone.
Mitschke took the win in net, needing to make only one save in the game.
The Lions will return home to face off against SUNY-New Paltz at 1 p.m. in Lions' Stadium this Saturday.
