The field hockey team (1-0 Patriot League, 5-2 overall) secured its first Patriot League win of the season last Friday, shutting out Holy Cross (0-1 Patriot League, 4-4 overall) 3-0 at the Crusaders’ Hart Turf Field in Worcester, Massachusetts.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Leopards broke through at the 28:09 mark when senior forward Alex Darrah tipped a ball into the right side of the cage, giving the Maroon and White a 1-0 lead. Darrah’s goal was assisted by sophomore midfielder Lea Good, who delivered a well-placed pass that allowed Darrah to slip past her defender.
The Leopards doubled their advantage early in the third quarter. After a Crusaders’ foul, sophomore forward Stella Malinowski converted a penalty stroke at 35:49 for her second goal of the season.
“It was our first Patriot League game, so obviously we were very excited, but we haven’t achieved anything yet,” sophomore defender Lena Thedrian said. “I think we felt confident, but we also knew that we had to work to win and we really worked for it.”
The Maroon and White were not done yet. Darrah added a second goal at 42:06, this time a sliding tip-in off a pass into the circle from senior midfielder Lineke Spaans. The senior’s two-goal performance led the way for the Leopards’ 3-0 victory.
“It’s always very exciting to get a goal,” Darrah said. “I just happened to be in the right place at the right time, with two great assists from Lea and Lineke. I’ve never scored more than one goal in one game, so I was very amped up. I’m just happy I can contribute to the win.”
Thedrian was full of praise for Darrah following the game.
“I was very happy for her, scoring two very nice goals, she almost threw herself to the ball, it was very cool,” Thedrian said. “She worked really hard for that and I’m incredibly grateful to have her on my team.”
The Leopards dominated the match with their offense, holding a 16-9 edge in total shots, though Holy Cross managed to earn more penalty corners with a 6-5 margin. Junior goalkeeper Raffi Fragomeni made seven saves to preserve the clean sheet for the Leopards, her third shutout of the season.
Fragomeni won her second Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week award for her performance.
“I think it was a really good game,” Darrah said. “Both teams started really strong and it was very fast-paced. We came out on top because we played to our strengths and in the end, we were able to capitalize. It was very clear that we were fit and fast which ultimately helped us win the game.”
The Leopards have an action-packed weekend, beginning with a return to Rappolt Field on Friday to take on American University in a rematch of last year’s Patriot League final, followed by an away game on Sunday at Penn State.
“This game means a lot,” Thedrian said of the upcoming contest against American. “This is the time where we show how much we improved from last year. We want to do everything to win.”