Matt Gad – Contributor
The Owls, who are now 0-15 overall and 0-10 in NE10 action, fell to two-win Saint Michael’s last Saturday, 2-0.
“We definitely had a chance to pull a win,” senior Amanda Oberly said. “It was just who had a full 70-minute game. We had a few breakdowns and couldn’t pick back up from them.”
The Owls and Purple Knights played to a scoreless first half with and Brianna Craft only allowing two goals in 18 saves. After halftime, Morgan Johnston scored both Saint Michael’s goals, her sixth and seventh scores of the year.
“As a whole defensively we played well,” assistant coach Sarah Williams said. “We had a couple of little let-downs and some things we missed, which resulted in those corners, which ultimately resulted in the goals, but each day we’re learning and success isn’t linear; it’s about fighting and not giving up.”
Saint Michael’s hit 33 shots, with 22 on goal, compared to the Owls’ six on goal and eight
in all. The Purple Knights took 10 corners, six in the first and four in the second, and neither team committed a foul.
“[Success] is about making mistakes and still trying, it’s about coming back for more when you’re exhausted and that’s something we’re doing each day,” Williams said. “We have a good attitude given the circumstances. We come to practice every day wanting to get better and we keep fighting. We keep fighting — we want wins but we’re learning a lot.”
The Owls, at 0-15, will be looking to get in the win column in one of their final three games this season. Yesterday they played future Division I opponent LIU Post, who is nationally ranked. Saturday they will be facing off on their senior day against Stonehill at 5 p.m. and then Nov. 6 they have another home game to take on Adelphi at 7 p.m.
“We just had some breakdowns that we didn’t pick back up from,” Oberly said. “We’ve definitely had a full 70-minute game before. We’re just gonna keep working together for our main goal and that’s a win.”
Inside the NE10 conference for field hockey Pace has a perfect 10-0 conference record, Merrimack is in second at 9-0, and 13-1 overall, and then there’s LIU Post at 10-4. The Owls are in 14th place with no conference wins, just one worse of the University of New Haven Chargers, who are 2-12 overall and just 1-9 in NE10 play.
“On any given day anybody can win a game,” Williams said.
The team went 2-16 last year, despite recording an 0-12 conference mark: 2008 was their best season to date. After a 12-6 NE10 record, they defeated Franklin Pierce, 6-3, and lost to Bentley, 1-0, in the NE10 Tournament before advancing to the NCAA Tournament to face a former NE10 school in the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
Photo Credit: Southernctowls.com