NEWTON, Mass. - The Monmouth field hockey team dropped their third straight contest Sunday afternoon as they fell to #10 ranked Boston College, 7-1, at Newton Campus Field in Boston. The Hawks, who started the season 3-0, have now lost three straight contests, dropping their overall record to 3-3 while the top ranked Eagles improve to a flawless 6-0.
In a game that saw little offense for the Blue and White, junior goalie Melissa Katz (Tinton Falls, N.J./Monmouth Regional) was tested early and often between the pipes as she posted a new career-high 15 saves on the afternoon.
Eagles' Kate Gillis opened up scoring on the game just nine minutes into play to put BC up 1-0, and the top-ten ranked squad never looked back. Gillis posted another goal seven minutes later and Emily Kozniuk posted an unassisted goal to push the Eagles to 3-0 with 13 minutes to play in the half.
MU junior Ashley McPeek (Hazlet, N.J./St. John Vianney) got the Hawks on the scoreboard for the first, and only, time in the matchup with an unassisted goal with just four minutes remaining in the first half to cut the deficit to 3-1 going into intermission.
The second half was all BC as they posted four straight goals, two by Chelsey Feole, to end the game in a victory for the Eagles. Feole ended the afternoon with two goals and an assist while teammate Gillis finished with two goals.
The Hawks were led by McPeek, who posted her first goal of the season, on three shots while redshirt senior Enza Mazza (Oceanport, N.J./Shore Regional) tallied two shots and freshmen Michelle Pieczynski (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West) and Kimmy Baligian (Whitehouse Station, N.J./Hunterdon Central) recorded a shot a piece.
The Hawks were outshot on the game by the Eagles, 27-7 and earned more penalty corner opportunities, 11-5.
Mazza's streak of five straight games with a point ended this afternoon, leaving the midfielder stuck in a 9th place tie in career points at Monmouth with 28 overall. The battle was the first between the respective programs, and the first ranked opponent MU has fought this season.
The Blue and White continue their longest road trip of the regular season this Saturday and Sunday, September 19th-20th when they travel to Richmond, Va. for non-conference battles against Richmond (Saturday) and Virginia Commonwealth (Sunday). Game time is slated for 12:00 pm Saturday and 1:00 pm Sunday.
