COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. — The 14th-ranked Ursinus field hockey team battled throughout but eventually fell, 1-0, against 12th-ranked Stevenson University on Friday evening at Snell Field Hockey Field.
With the loss, Ursinus moved to 5-1 on the season, while the Mustangs remained unbeaten and improved to 6-0 overall.
The Bears' offense controlled momentum early, recording a pair of penalty corners and a shot on goal through the first two minutes of action. Senior
Marie Brainard had her initial scoring chance saved, while classmate
Rachel Fosbenner had her shot blocked.
Brainard fired her second shot of the contest on target at the 4:38 mark, but a save from the Mustangs' goalkeeper kept the contest tied at zero. Stevenson responded in the 12th minute, registering a pair of shots, with senior defender
Andi Helphenstine recording a defensive save to keep the contest tied entering the second period.
The Mustangs' offense tallied four consecutive shots off a pair of penalty corners to open the second stanza, but first-year goalkeeper
Elise Martin and the Bears' defense denied each chance to keep the game knotted. Martin continued to keep the Mustangs at bay, collecting three more saves over the remainder of the period.
In the 26th minute, Ursinus registered two shots off a penalty corner, but Brainard and sophomore
Kylie Moore had their scoring chances blocked by the Mustangs' defense before halftime.
Moore tallied the only shot in the third period, as her attempt off a penalty corner was blocked, with the remainder of the stanza resulting in a stalemate between both teams. Stevenson sent a pair of shots wide of the cage to open the fourth period before the Bears nearly broke the scoreless deadlock with a shot on target by senior
Kirsten Johnson in the 52nd minute. On a penalty corner in the 55th minute, Brainard's shot was blocked, sending the game to overtime tied at zero.
Ursinus nearly struck first during the extra period, as a through pass was intercepted by the Mustangs' back line before Stevenson's Hailey Mertz delivered the game-winning goal in the 63rd minute, resulting in the 1-0 defeat for the Bears.
Stevenson held a 13-9 advantage in shots and an 8-3 lead in shots on goal, while Ursinus earned a 5-4 edge in penalty corners. Jordan Vradenburgh collected the victory in goal for the Mustangs with three saves, while Martin suffered the loss for Ursinus with a game-high six stops.
The Bears will return to action Wednesday, September 23rd, when they host No. 19 The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) at 7 p.m. at Snell Field Hockey Field.
