The Elizabethtown College field hockey team picked up another win on Saturday, Sept. 30. Drew University traveled to Etown to take on the Blue Jays on Wolf Field at 1 p.m., and the home team was well-prepared. They came out firing early and often while also putting on a show on the defensive end of the field. The team managed 23 shots, 15 of which were on goal, and held Drew to just 5 shots, 4 on goal. Eventually, they picked up their fifth win of the season, 3-2.
It took just three minutes for the Blue Jays to prove that they were back on track. Junior forward Riley Stephan put the crowd on their feet early after her effort found the back of the net and put her team up early. Susquehanna had the opportunity to respond quickly, but junior goalie Angelina Giglio-Tos kept them off the scoreboard with a nice save. The Jays would continue to put pressure on Susquehanna’s defense but were held to one goal by the end of the period.
The second period was one for the ages. The two teams went back and forth, and it started with Susquehanna. Susquehanna quickly bounced back from the early deficit, sending a strike past Giglio-Tos. However, it wasn’t long until Etown was back on the board. Six minutes later sophomore defender Rachel Troutman took the lead back with a goal off an assist from graduate student midfielder Chloe Smith. From that point, it seemed like the Blue Jays were back to dominating on both ends, but with just a minute left in the period, Susquehanna was able to sneak another shot into Etown’s net and tie things up once more.
The last two periods were dominated defensively on both sides. Neither team let off many shots in the third period, as Etown took the only two shots of the period. In the 39th minute, Etown’s offensive pressure proved to be too much when sophomore forward Drew Bridges, who fired off seven shots on goal that day, finally scored to put Etown up 3-2. In the fourth period, the Jays put Susquehanna away. Their offense was once again hounding Susquehanna’s defense, and while Susquehanna kept them off the scoreboard, they were unable to find the goal they needed. Giglio-Tos made one more clutch save in the 54th minute to put the opponent away and send the home fans home happy.
This win ends Etown’s two-game losing streak and also moves the team to 2-1 in Landmark Conference play. With a 5-4 overall record, the Blue Jays put themselves in a good position as they prepare to play six straight conference opponents. Up next on the schedule is Susquehanna University at home on Saturday, Oct. 7 at 1 p.m.
