PHILADELPHIA, PA – In its final non-conference game of the season, the Monmouth University field hockey team fell at La Salle, 3-1, Sunday afternoon at DeVincent Field. Sophomore defender Rachel Konowal (Plymouth Meeting, PA/Plymouth Whitemarsh) recorded her first career goal for the Hawks, who open up Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play next Saturday, October 10th at Fairfield.
The two sides exchanged chances in the early going before La Salle (4-6) broke through in the 24th minute when April Stein, set up near the post, deposited a feed from Juliana Carfagno to allow the Explorers to enter the break ahead 1-0.
La Salle continued to build its lead in the second half as Megan Kida scored in the 51st minute off a corner play, while Katie O'Grady successful converted a penalty stroke seven minutes later to inflate the Explorers lead to three.
The Blue and White (3-9) got on the board in the 61st minute when a shot by Meg Donahue (Wyomissing, PA/Berks Catholic) rang off the cross bar, but Konowal was there to clean up the rebound for her first goal to cut La Salle's lead to two. The Hawks generated a trio of opportunities in the final six minutes, but Teresa Warner's (Lower Hutt, New Zealand/Sacred Heart) attempt went wide, Cori Allen (Gibbsboro, NJ/Eastern Regional [Iowa]) had two shots blocked and Konowal's attempt was turned away by goalkeeper, Rachel Hartman.
Allen, Donahue and junior Casey Hanna (Seaville, NJ/Ocean City) each recorded three shots for the Hawks.
Sophomore goalkeeper Christen Piersanti (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) recorded one save in defeat, while Hartman turned away five shot to earn the victory.
Monmouth outshot the Explorers 14-7, including 10-5 in the second half, and held a 13-11 edge in penalty corner opportunities.
The Hawks will close out a three-game road swing on Saturday against the Stags, who embarks on its first season as a MAAC Field Hockey member. The game is slated for 2:30 p.m. from Fairfield, CT.
-@MonmouthFH-
