WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – The Monmouth field hockey team built a 2-0 first-half lead and added an insurance goal in the second, while its defense held strong in the final 35-minutes to lead the Hawks to a 3-0 victory over visiting Lafayette College, Friday afternoon on So Sweet A Cat Field.
Junior Mallory Kusakavitch (Pittston, PA / Holy Redeemer) scored for the second-straight game, which proved to be the game-winner, hammering in a long feed from sophomore Georgia Garden Bachop (Dunedin, New Zealand/Queen Margaret) in the 29th minute. Alyssa Ercolino (West Long Branch, NJ/Shore Regional) posted her team-high fourth goal of the year 2:15 before the break, while junior Meg Donahue (Wyomissing, PA/Berks Catholic) converted her second penalty stroke attempt in as many games.
Junior goalkeeper Christen Piersanti (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) turned away six shots, while getting help from classmate Julie Laszlo (Rotterdam, Netherlands/Rotterdams Montessori Lyceum) who posted a defensive save in the victory.
NOTES & QUOTES
"We are off to a fantastic start to the season. I think each game we have progressed nicely and today was a big test for us and the girls came out ready, energetic and they decided, as a unit, that they were going to move forward. I am really happy with our improvement thus far." – Head Coach Carli Figlio
-Monmouth's 3-0 start matches the best beginning to a season under Carli Figlio (2009).
- It's the Hawks first win over Lafayette since its inaugural Division I season (1997).
-Mallory Kusakavitch notched her first career-game winner after recording her first career point last Sunday.
- Alyssa Ercolino's goal gave her 50 career points in 61 career games. She becomes the seventh player all-time to reach the 50-point plateau.
- Ercolino has scored in each of the Hawks' games this season.
- Meg Donahue is now 2-for-2 in penalty strokes extending the Hawks streak to seven-straight successful stroke conversions since 2013.
-Christen Piersanti has six career shutout victories and records back-to-back clean sheets for the first time of her career.
- Monmouth last posted back-to-back shutouts was in 2013 when Teresa Mathews blanked Bryant and Sacred Heart.
NUMBERS CRUNCH
- Lafayette outshot the Hawks 11-8, including 7-1 in the second half.
-The Leopards were awarded 15 corner opportunities, including 11 in the second half, while the Hawks earned three in the opening half, capitalizing on one.
-Casey Hanna (Seaville, NJ / Ocean City) led the team with three shots.
- Junior Christen Piersanti made one save in her 23rd career victory, while her counterpart, Katelyn Arnold turned away two Monmouth shots.
-Julie Laszlo recorded her third career defensive save.
NEXT UP
The Hawks return to So Sweet A Cat Field on Sunday, September 4th at noon when they play host to Georgetown.
-@MonmouthFH-
