On Friday, Oct. 3, three penalty corner goals propelled the high-powered Monmouth University, ranked 13th, to a 4-0 victory over the Hofstra University field hockey team. With the loss, the Pride moved to 5-5 on the season and 0-2 in conference play, while the Hawks moved to 8-2 on the season and 1-0 in conference play.
The Pride now has a 5-8 record against the Hawks all-time and has not beaten Monmouth since 2012.
Luisa Schlueter, Maia McCourt, Milla Frye and Florence van Doorn scored Monmouth’s four goals.
Hofstra goalkeeper Luci Hollister made six saves for the Pride, fending off ten shots on goal from Monmouth.
Sophomore goalie Charlie Bowman got the start for Monmouth and made two saves from the two shots on goal.
Monmouth had their first penalty corner less than a minute into the game. Junior Eulalie Brouwers inserted the ball to Hannah Tromble, who found Anna Moors, who took a shot at the goal. The ball deflected off the stick of Schlueter past Hollister, and the Hawks took a 1-0 lead. The goal was Schlueter’s first of her collegiate career.
The early goal and the high press of Monmouth proved effective in the first quarter of play. The Pride rarely had possession past midfield and only got one shot off in the entire quarter, none being on goal, compared to four shots by the Hawks, two of which were on goal.
Hofstra started to get pressured by Monmouth and earned a penalty corner with about two minutes gone in the second quarter. Hofstra defender Teresa Karoff inserted the corner, and the ball found the stick of Kesia Richardson, who forced Bowman to make a kick save and deny the Pride.
Monmouth drew their second penalty corner of the game about four minutes into the second quarter, which was upheld after a Hofstra challenge. Brouwers inserted the corner, the ball landed at the stick of van Doorn, who fired a shot that got deflected off the stick of McCourt into the top netting of Hofstra’s goal putting the Hawks up to 2-0. The goal was McCourt’s first of her collegiate career.
Hofstra had the opportunity to score one point when freshman midfielder Gwenn van Dijk had the ball next to the goal, but Bowman was able to make the save and keep the Pride off the board.
The Hawks had the first chance of the second half when Frye forced Hollister to make a beautiful save kick from a backhanded shot.
Hofstra earned two penalty corners in quick succession four minutes into the third quarter. Karoff found senior defender Jamie Mc Millan, but her shot went wide, keeping the Pride scoreless.
The Pride earned two more penalty corners 13 minutes into the third quarter. On the first corner, junior forward Jaime Lewis inserted the ball to van Dijk, but her shot was deflected wide by Kelly Levengood. On the second corner, Karoff inserted, and the ball ended up on the stick of van Dijk. Bowman made a sliding stop to deny the attempt.
The Pride’s best quarter of the game was the third, holding the Hawks off the scoreboard. Hofstra drew four corners, and Monmouth only drew one; however, the Hawks outshot the Pride five to three.
Monmouth was very aggressive in the first five minutes of the final frame and drew three penalty corners. Hollister denied the Hawks every time and kept the score 2-0.
The Hawks tacked on another goal on Frye’s hard backhanded shot that buzzed by Hollister to give Monmouth a 3-0 lead. Monmouth drew a penalty corner with less than a minute left in the game, and Brouwers inserted it to Keely Bowers, who took a shot that was blocked by Pilar Penaloza. The ball fell to Van Doorn, whose shot in the lower corner beat Hollister to put the Hawks ahead 4-0.
The Pride looked to bounce back in a nonconference game at Columbia University on Sunday, Oct. 5. Game time was set for 1 p.m.
