FINAL SCORE
Monmouth (6-1) – 1
Columbia (2-3) – 0
 
NEW YORK – The Monmouth University Field Hockey team secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Columbia in New York City on Sunday, improving their record to 6-1 on the season.
 
The game's lone goal came in the third quarter when Monmouth's freshman forward, Lilly Ricks, capitalized on a loose ball to find the back of the net at 38:48. Ricks' decisive goal highlighted a gritty performance by the Hawks, who battled Columbia's defense and the strong play of Lions goalkeeper Katie Wimmer. Wimmer was a standout in net, recording 13 saves, but Monmouth's relentless pressure ultimately broke through.
 
Monmouth controlled the game offensively, outshooting Columbia 20-8 and putting 14 shots on goal compared to Columbia's five. Senior forward Sofia Fouces was particularly active for the Hawks, firing off eight shots, six of which were on target.
 
On the defensive end, Monmouth goalkeeper Jessie Eiselin earned her first shutout of her sophomore season. Eiselin made five saves, including several critical stops in the opening quarter when Columbia generated early offensive pressure. The Netherlands native leads the Coastal Athletic Association with an .846 save percentage and has helped hold opponents scoreless in MU's last three contests.
 
The win gives Monmouth (6-1) their best start to a season through seven games since 2016.

QUOTE
"Today was an important game for us. We are walking away with a win, but more importantly some lessons learned from a hard-fought game. This will help us for a very challenging weekend ahead in Philadelphia." – Head Coach Carli Figlio
 
NOTES & NUMBERS
- Ricks has scored in back-to-back games.
- Eiselin has six shutouts for her career.
- Frye tallied her first career multi-goal game.
- MU has beaten Columbia the last two times in New York.
- MU had more shots on goal, 14-5.
- Each team earned five penalty corners.
- Columbia leads the all-time series, 9-6.
 
UP NEXT
The Hawks are back in CAA action at Drexel on Friday, September 27. The game will be broadcast live on FloSports at 4:00 p.m.