The RPI field hockey team suffered a pair of tough non-conference games this weekend before beating non-conference foe Nazareth.
The Red Hawks traveled to Utica last Wednesday to take on the nationally ranked Lady Pioneers. Utica, who recently earned the 12th spot in the 2004 National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division III National Coaches Poll, looked to dominate the offensive side of the game.
The Lady Pioneers came out strong in the first half, but the RPI defense responded to the challenge. Of the eight shots that Utica took, only two got through to Red Hawk goaltender Amanda Lund. The RPI offense did not fair too much better, only forcing one shot on net, which was stopped.
The second half was a totally different story for both teams. The Red Hawks put all four of their shots on net, but Utica keeper Jenny Lounsbury preserved the shutout. Lund made 10 saves in the second half, but the Lady Pioneers solved her at the 44 minute mark.
Utica scored twice in a 2:06 span, once by Alyssa Hohman and the other by Danielle Fiore.
The Lady Pioneers dominated the second half 6-1 in penalty corners and 13-4 in shots.
The Red Hawks looked to rebound against SUNY Brockport. The crushing defense from the Golden Eagles stifled the RPI offense. The Red Hawks were held without a shot in the first period, and the Brockport found the net at 20:17 to take a 1-0 lead into the half. Kate Bennett scored off an assist from Gretchen Brehm for the first tally of the game.
Bennett and Brehm hooked up again in the second half. Bennett put a great pass onto Brehm’s stick and she beat Lund to put the Golden Eagles up 2-0.
Facing a conference game and a potential goalless week, the RPI offense finally picked up. At 7:39, RPI freshman Michelle Clemente scored off a rebound to put the Red Hawks up 1-0. Nazareth fired back at 25:23; Erin Howe pushed a ball past Lund to tie the game at one.
RPI took the lead back at 28:04, when Andrea Flynn scored a pretty goal. The Red Hawks went into the half with a 2-1 lead, the first time they had a lead at the half all week.
Jen O’Neill took over goaltending duties for RPI at the half, and shutout Nazareth for 14:14. Liz Szweczak then replaced O’Neill in net, and at 52:55 let in the second Nazareth goal of the day off a penalty corner.
Facing overtime, the Red Hawks’ offense kicked it up a notch. At 64:45, Sarah Salinger put a ball into the net to put RPI up for good.
With the win, RPI improves their record to 7-6. They still sit in second place in the Liberty League with a 4-1 record. They will take on Rochester and William Smith in their final Liberty League weekend. Friday’s game is at 3 pm, and Saturday’s contest is at 1 pm.
