CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – Behind three goals in the second half, the 18th-ranked Ursinus College field hockey team earned a 4-0 shutout victory over DeSales University on Wednesday evening.
 

With the victory, Ursinus improves to 3-0 on the season tying their best start to a season since the 2014 campaign, while the Bulldogs fell to 1-2 overall. Senior forward Amanda Groeling opened the scoring in the second period, before classmates Mary Lauren Franz and Eliza Donaldson combined for the final three scores to give Ursinus their second consecutive shutout victory.  
 

Franz opened the contest by recording the opening shot at the 1:29-mark as her scoring opportunity in front of the goal deflected off the DeSales netminder to keep the score tied. After a Bears' shot missed wide, DeSales responded with back-to-back scoring opportunities in the 8th minute, but each were denied by the Bears defense.  The Bulldog's first shot was saved by junior goalkeeper Adriana Palladinetti, while their second deflected off the cage to keep the contest scoreless with 6:14 remaining in the period. With under two minutes remaining in the period, Ursinus was awarded their lone two penalty corners, but each scoring opportunity was denied keeping the score tied heading into the second stanza. Senior defender Maeve Montgomery recorded back-to-back shots to close out the period with the first being blocked and the second missing wide of the cage. Each defense denied the opening scoring opportunity of the period, before the Bears offense broke through with the opening tally with 2:22 remaining in the half. Sophomore Rachel Fosbenner started the scoring chance as she forced a turnover and sent a bouncing pass through the Bulldogs defense, finding Franz on the right side of the cage. Franz made a move on the goalkeeper and sent a pass along the crease finding Groeling on the back post for a tip in goal to give Ursinus a 1-0 halftime lead.

 
Ursinus carried the momentum into the second half as the Bears stretched their lead to 2-0 after a goal from Franz at the 32:48-mark. Sophomore Kirsten Johnson saved a pass from going out of bounds, before firing a pass across the crease allowing Franz to tip it into the back of the cage for the goal. The Bulldogs responded with a trio of scoring chances, but each were denied by the Bears defense and Palladinetti to keep Ursinus ahead by two heading into the final period. In the fourth stanza, Ursinus struck again as sophomore Marie Brainard assisted Donaldson on a scoring attempt to increase the Bears lead to three. Just 30 seconds into the quarter, Brainard sent a bouncing pass across the crease allowing Donaldson to use one touch for her first collegiate score. At the 47:05-mark, DeSales was awarded a penalty stroke, but Maddie Trocki's shot missed wide left to keep the Bears ahead by three with 12:55 remaining in the contest. Franz added the final tally at the 48:29-mark as she created a one-on-one opportunity with the goalie, before finding the back of the cage for her conference leading seventh goal of the season. The Bears held off the DeSales offense for the remainder of the period enroute to the 4-0 shutout victory.
 

Ursinus held a 12-11 edge in shots with each team recording seven shots on goal, and the Bulldogs tallied an 5-2 advantage in penalty corner opportunities. In goal, Palladinetti collected the victory and her second career shutout behind seven saves. DeSales netminder Alyssa Schlossman was dealt the loss after tallying three saves over 60 minutes of action.
 

The Bears return to action on Saturday, September 14th as they host No. 10 University of Lynchburg for a non-conference matchup starting at 1 p.m. from Snell Alumnae Field.