EASTON, PA – The Monmouth University field hockey team outshot Lafayette College 12-4 and earned six attacking penalty corners without yielding a defensive corner, but the Leopards deflected in the game-winning goal 2:11 into the overtime session to defeat the Hawks, 1-0, Friday night at Rappolt Field.
Following a Monmouth (2-3) clear of the defensive zone, the Leopards (4-1) broke out and played the ball along the right sideline. Ellen Colbourne played a big ball into the middle of the circle where Katie Birle redirected it between the legs of sophomore goalkeeper Christen Piersanti (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) for the winner.
“Obviously, it wasn't the result we wanted tonight, but we played a full game today from top to bottom,” commented head coach Carli Figlio. “Our defense was impressive and contained a very talented and fast team. We grew as a team today, became good teammates and will build from this.”
Senior Cori Allen (Gibbsboro, NJ/Eastern Regional [Iowa]) and freshman Teresa Warner (Lower Hutt, New Zealand/Sacred Heart) paced the offense with three shots apiece, while sophomores Meg Donahue (Wyomissing, PA/Berks Catholic) and Julie Laszlo (Rotterdam, Netherlands/ Montessori Lyceum) each fired a pair of shots.
Piersanti turned away the lone shot she saw during regulation, diving to her right and pushing away Hannah Millen's penalty stroke attempt in the 37th minute to keep the game scoreless. Katelyn Arnold made four saves on the night for Lafayette in the shutout victory.
Monmouth returns to action this Sunday at 1 p.m. when it takes on Cornell in Ithaca, NY.
-@MonmouthFH-
