On Saturday, Oct. 9 the Elizabethtown College women’s field hockey team faced off against Juniata College Eagles and won with a score of 2-0 to add to their number of victories.
Etown goalie first-year Angelina Giglio-Tos made three saves in goal to earn another shutout, taking her to her third of the season.
In the first quarter the Blue Jays took two shots on goal within the first five minutes. Senior Grace Hardy scored from the left, assisted by junior Grace Hussey for her 11th goal of the season. The Blue Jays prevented The Eagles from taking a shot all first quarter and led at the end of the quarter 1-0.
When the second quarter began the Eagles were ready to beat the Blue Jays. The Eagles tried to score three times. However, the Blue Jays prevailed. Giglio-Tos managed to prevent the first shot, a penalty corner shot.
“Penalty corner shots are based on how you set up. They are easy shots to make and can be easy to defend if the players are all working together and communicating,” a former Etown field hockey player Kathryn Black explained.
Giglio-Tos only a minute later then stopped a shot by Juniata’s Sydney Witter from the middle of the circle. Giglio-Tos was not done yet as with only eight seconds left of the first half, she prevented a shot by the Eagles’ Brooke Franke to keep the Blue Jays in the lead at halftime.
It is safe to say, Giglio-Tos earned her third shutout of the season after the second quarter of the game. Etown only had one attempt late in the second quarter; however, it was blocked.
After halftime, the Blue Jays were ready to score again but were rejected multiple times. Etown’s perseverance led them to take five shots on goal and four penalty corners. Juniata blocked all five shots. The Eagles’ player Franke tried an attempt later on, though Smith was able to defend her and allow the Blue Jays to keep their lead of 1-0. The game was still close and both teams were playing very well as the fourth quarter began.
The Blue Jays were able to keep a penalty corner play alive in the fourth quarter and it showed as Hardy was able to score for the second time within the first three minutes of the fourth quarter. Hardy was assisted by sophomore Sydney Aguilar, who controlled the ball towards the goal and centered a pass to Hardy. Hardy’s 12th goal of the season took the game to 2-0 with the Blue Jays still leading.
“I was just in the right place at the right time,” Hardy said.
The Eagles had a pair of penalty corners in the fourth quarter, but they were both stopped as Etown did not allow a single shot the entire second quarter. The Blue Jays won the game 2-0 and prepare to play Moravian College next week.
