Bobby Martinez – Sports Writer
NEW HAVEN — On a breezy Saturday afternoon at Jess Dow field, the lady Owls field hockey team took on number ten Bentley University with hopes of winning their fifth game of the season.
The lady Owls began the game in full attack mode lead by sophomore Anna Marcucilli. Marcucilli attempted the team’s first shot three minutes into the game which was blocked by Bentley’s goalie Katie Kelley.
The Owls defense pressure affected the way Bentley wanted to run their offense. Senior Sarah Cebry tried to continue attacking on the offensive side but her shot was blocked by Kelley five minutes into the game.
Both teams in the first half were back and forth trying to break the score. Neither team managed to score throughout the first half but the Owls controlled most of the half by leading with shot attempts. The Owls shot advantage was 9-1 in addition had a 7-1 lead in edge corner shots.
The story of the first half was the Owls communication and intensity on both defense and offense. Despite Bentley University being ranked number 10 in the nation for Division-II field hockey, the Owls didn’t back down one bit.
Heading into the half it was dead locked in a tie. The Owls almost took a lead into the half in the final minutes with two shots from sophomore Lauren Anderson and freshman Jamie Matson. As the second half kicked off, Lauren Anderson attempted another shot against Kelley but was blocked keeping the score tied.
The whole second half could’ve went either way anytime. The entire second half was similar to the first half until the 55th minute of the game. Bentley’s Gina Lirange scored her 11th goal of the season giving the Falcons a 1-0 lead with 15 minutes left in the game. Southern immediately called a timeout to regroup.
The Falcons would not look back for the rest of the game. The Owls weren’t able to get their offense started towards the end of the game and in the second half in general. Unlike the first half, the Falcons had the shot advantage 10-4 over the Owls.
The Owls would go on to lose the game with a final score of 1-0 giving the Owls their 12th loss of the season. The Owls are currently 4-6 in the conference and have an overall record of 4-12. With wins over Saint Anselm College, American International College, Assumption College and Adelphi University, the Owls have two more games left on the season.
The Owls’ final home will be the last for the five seniors. Seniors consist of Robin Donaldson, Sarah Cebry, Meghan Lahm, Cathylyn Pistolas and Allison Vilardi. A matchup against Mercy College on Oct. 29 will be a chance for the Owls to secure their fifth win of the season.
Lahm in her four years at Southern has managed to play 82 games heading into the matchup between Mercy. Pistolas, who transferred from Marywood University in Scranton Pennsylvania, played in 10 games this season as both (D)-fullback and (M) midfielder. Cebry has provided the Owls with a lot of scoring this season with a total of 14 goals in all 11 games.
At the forward position, Vilardi has started three games this season scoring one goal in 11 games. The Owls will finish up the season against Franklin Pierce University on Nov. 2 in New Hampshire.
For the Owls last two opponents, Mercy has a combined record of 4-11 and is coming off 3-0 win against Dowling College. Franklin pierce on the other hand has a record of 2-13 and is currently on a two game losing streak.
