WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - In its final test before league play, the Monmouth University field hockey team defeated intrastate rival Rutgers, 3-2, Sunday afternoon at So Sweet A Cat Field. Seniors Amanda Schoenfeld (West Sayville, N.Y./Connetquot) and Trish O'Dwyer (Dublin, Ireland/Loreto Beaufort) along with rookie Meg Donahue (Wyomissing, Pa./Berks Catholic) each registered goals for the Blue and White, which improves to 7-6 on the year with the program's first win over a Big Ten opponent.
“This was a complete team effort,” commented head coach Carli Figlio. “We worked a lot on our individual defense and moving our feet and we definitely saw that in the last five minutes of the game. Our attack was fantastic today and overall this is a really great win for us.”
The Hawks capitalized on a Rutgers (6-7) turnover inside the circle five minutes into the game. Schoenfeld collected the loose ball and fired a hard shot towards cage that redirected off Elyse Broderick's stick and into the far corner for her seventh goal of the year and third in the last two games.
Monmouth continued to put pressure on the Scarlet Knights in the 26th minute when Donahue blasted a hard shot of her own high into the netting that hit the back post and bounced out. After the officials conferred, Donahue was awarded her sixth goal of the season and has now registered a point in the last five games.
Rachel Yaney's goal with 2:32 left in the first half brought Rutgers to within one heading into the break. The Scarlet Knights looked for the equalizer four minutes into the second stanza, but Yaney's attempt was pushed aside by a diving Christen Piersanti (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) to keep the Hawks ahead by one.
In the 53rd minute, sophomore Alyssa Ercolino (West Long Branch, N.J./Shore Regional) inserted a penalty corner opportunity to the top of the circle and the stick of Cori Allen (Gibbsboro, N.J./Eastern Regional [Iowa]). The junior then dished off to her left where O'Dwyer fired a shot through the legs of RU's goalkeeper, Shevaun Hayes, to put the Hawks ahead once again by two. It marks the 10th goal for O'Dywer this year, her third career double-digit goal season, and extends her goal streak to seven-straight games.
Rutgers climbed within one again in the 65th minute, as Sophie Wright converted a successful penalty corner opportunity, but the Scarlet Knights could not generate another offensive chance.
Piersanti made four saves for her sixth victory of the season, while Hayes turned away five Monmouth shots in defeat.
Monmouth edged Rutgers in both shots (12-11) and penalty corners (6-5).
“This was important heading into MAAC play,” added Figlio. “The Penn and Rutgers games I think were huge wins for us and we are really excited for conference play to start. We will have to get focus this week and work really hard to prepare for Friday [at Rider] and Sunday [at Sacred Heart].
Monmouth travels to Lawrenceville, N.J. on Friday, October 17th for a tilt with Rider beginning at 7 p.m. in its MAAC opener.
-@MonmouthFH-
