COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Behind a pair of third quarter goals, the Ursinus field hockey team earned a decisive 3-1 victory over No. 14 Rowan on Wednesday evening in their season opener at Snell Field.
Senior
Marie Brainard opened the scoring for the Bears, tallying her 26th career goal in the 34th minute, before goals from sophomore
Kylie Moore and senior
Ava Mikulski capped the scoring for Ursinus. The victory marked the Bears highest ranked victory since defeating No. 10 Rowan in the 2024 season opener by a 6-2 score.
The Ursinus offense put the pressure on the Profs through the first four minutes, totaling three corners and two shots on goal. Brainard nearly connected on the first scoring opportunity, as her shot attempt off a corner ricocheted off the post to keep the contest tied. Rowan's first scoring attempt came in the sixth minute on a corner, but the Bears defense denied the chance. The Profs tallied a trio of shots over the remainder of the quarter, but the Ursinus backline stood tall, denying each attempt as the score remained tied. The Bears and Profs each totaled two shots in the second period, but the contest entered halftime scoreless.
After the halftime adjustments, Ursinus capitalized on a pair of scoring opportunities to gain a 2-0 lead with 6:51 remaining in the third period. First, senior
Kirsten Johnson inserted a penalty corner finding Brainard at the top of the circle, and her shot found the back of the cage to give Ursinus a 1-0 lead. Three minutes later, Johnson set up the ensuing Bears goal sprinting through the defense and her shot attempt deflected leading to Moore's second career goal to give the Bears a two-goal advantage.
Both teams traded shots on goal to open the fourth period before the Bears connected for their final score at the 51:40-mark on a goal by Mikulski. After a Prof turnover on the Bears' defensive side, Mikulski sprinted past the backline before delivering a bouncing shot towards the far post to give Ursinus a 3-0 lead. Rowan added a late tally on a penalty corner at the 55:22-mark, but the Bears defense sealed the 3-1 victory.
Ursinus held a 13-11 advantage in shots, an 8-4 edge in shots on goal, while Rowan held a 9-6 lead in penalty corner opportunities. First-year goalie
Elise Martin nearly earned the shutout in goal during her collegiate debut, collecting the victory behind three saves in 60 minutes of action. Rowan's Ella Morton suffered the loss for the Profs, posting five saves.
The Bears will return to action on Saturday, September 5th as they travel to Geneva, New York to take on William Smith College at noon.
