The Elizabethtown College women’s field hockey team is on the board in the Landmark Conference with two wins. The team defeated Goucher College 5-0 on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014 and Susquehanna University 4-1 on Saturday, Oct. 11. Senior Andrea Keady had more than one goal in both victories, while four different Blue Jays scored in the game against Goucher College.

The Blue Jays immediately turned up the heat against the Gophers in the first half with 16 shots on goal, while the Goucher College Gophers could only manage to have two. Even though there were a high number of shots, the Blue Jays struggled to get a ball in the back of their opponent’s cage. Junior Alyssa Aichele and first-year Emma Christman both had shots during the first half that rebounded off a goal post. The Gophers’ goalie made seven saves in the first 35 minutes to keep Etown from scoring.

The Blue Jays’ offense turned much more effective after half time. Etown scored on five of the seven shots made. Two came from Keady then, senior Emily Mason took a penalty corner, and the ball was returned to her. From senior Hannah Heritage, Mason was able to score on the Gopher goalkeeper. Junior Jacki Hikes contributed the next goal for the Jays, followed by a goal from sophomore Nicole Leaf. Leaf’s first goal of the season was assisted by senior Taylor Alwine and put the Blue Jays up 5-0.

“The team made a lot of mental changes in the second half to try to get us all together and on the same page,” Leaf said. “Our forwards began moving more as a unit and were more successful in keeping the ball on the offensive side of the field.”

Senior goalkeeper Selene Jones made one save during the entire game, which occurred in the first half of the game.

The momentum from the victory against Goucher College propelled the team’s energy into the face-off with Susquehanna University. Keady was able to score two goals within just 49 seconds of each other during the first half.

The Blue Jays started with heavy offensive pressure like they did against the Gophers. In the game against the Susquehanna University Crusaders, Etown put up 16 shots, compared to Susquehanna’s one during the first 35 minutes of the game. Overall, the Blue Jays outshot Susquehanna 23-5.

Early in the game, Leaf and Christman both had chances to score for Etown, but neither could get past the Crusaders’ goalkeeper. With 15 minutes in the game, an Etown penalty corner provided an opportunity. Leaf brought back an almost cleared ball and Keady took care of a deflection and returned it to the back of the cage.

Quickly after, Alwine fed Keady who scored her second goal of the game, and sixth of the season. The Crusaders came back with a goal to make the score 2-1.

Aichele took command of the offense at 27:43 of the first half when she shot on goal and followed to the cage to get the rebound off the goalkeeper and put it past her. Alwine scored her fourth goal of the season to make the score 4-1. Jones made three key saves for the Blue Jays’ Landmark Conference victory.

“I think we have potential to be contenders in the Conference Championship, we just have to keep working together and supporting each other,” Leaf said. “We know what it feels like to win and lose within the Conference, and that definitely helps keep us motivated to win.”

The Blue Jays are now 2-1 for the Landmark Conference and 7-5 overall. Etown travels to Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa. Saturday, Oct. 18 to take on the Eagles at 4 p.m.