By Alexandra Parado & John Berardi
Sports Editor & Staff Writer
The field hockey team remains undefeated, as they ended this weekend with back-to-back wins against Juniata College and Albright University at Lions Stadium.
On Saturday, Sept. 8, the Lions defeated Juniata College with an impressive score of 5-1.
Junior forward/midfielder Kayla Peterson demolished a shot off a penalty corner less than five minutes into the game.
In the middle of the first half, sophomore forward Tori Tiefenthaler pulled the Lions ahead, 2-0, by spotting the back of the cage and dispatching a shot after shifting past Juniata’s defense. Momentarily, Tiefenthaler struck again, scoring another goal after receiving a long entry pass by senior midfielder/defender Sidney Padilla.
Juniata attempted to tie up the game, but could not get any shots past junior goalkeeper Maddie Beaumont.
The Lions hustled off the field with three goals at the end of the first half, but their opponent had tight control opening the second half. After three failed shot attempts, Juniata cut the College’s lead into two after collecting a loose ball on the left side of the cage.
Certainly, that goal would not go unanswered.
Tiefenthaler responded with another goal after a corner kick, further extending the College’s lead to 4-1.
For the next 10 minutes, action was full on the defensive side as Juniata held on to the ball and made an effort to score by taking four shots within that period.
With five minutes left in the game, junior forward Cayla Andrews scored the fifth and final goal to secure the win. The Lions ended the game with 16 shots, 5 saves, 9 penalty corners and no fouls.
On Sunday, Sept. 9, the Lions advanced their record to 3-0 after conquering Albright College, 5-0.
Within the first five minutes of the game, the Lions achieved a 3-0 lead. Andrews was first to put the team on the scoreboard after weaving through Albright’s defense. This goal was followed by another by Peterson.
After three games, Padilla, a nominated All-American, scored her first goal of the 2018 season with help from Peterson and senior forward Caroline Quinn.
Early into the second half, the Lions continued to look for a chance to score. Peterson and Andrews both scored their second goal of the game, producing the final score of 5-0. There was only one shot on target that Beaumont denied throughout the entire game.
The Lions’ next challenge will be on Saturday, Sept. 15, when they travel to Grantham, Pennsylvania to face the undefeated Messiah College for a 1 p.m. contest. This battle is considered a rematch from last season’s NCAA semifinal competition between the two rivals.
