Today: Mar 28, 2024

Field hockey nets their first win, 3-2

Morgan DouglasSports Editor

Field hockey picked up their first win of the season in their home opener against the Franklin Pierce University Ravens on Sunday to improve to 1-2 on the year. 

Franklin Pierce got the scoring going after a first quarter goal from forward Feline van Doorn. They would end quarter number one with a 1-0 lead. 

The next three goals would all be scored by the Owls. Forward Kiley Jackson, a sophomore, got the offense going, scoring her first career college goal in the second quarter, unassisted to knot the score at a goal apiece. 

“I was running down the field and I got a pass from Bri Caffrey, and I noticed it was just me and the goalie inside the circle,” Jackson said, “We’ve worked on it, and I knew that all I had to do was go around and try to get there.” 

Get there she did. Jackson was not the only Owl to record her first career college goal in this contest either. In the waning moments of the first half, midfielder Josephine Nolet, a freshman, was able to give the Owls the lead, scoring on a Brianna Shaw assist. 

“I knew I needed to get to post,” Nolet said. “A man was on me; I knew it was coming across. The left side of the goal was wide open, I had my chance and I pushed it right in.” 

The third quarter did not see too much action until the closing moments, in part because of the weather. It was a warm day for field hockey, without much cloud cover, which may have led to some fatigue on both sides. 

Midfielder Kaitlyn Bourque, a junior, put the Owls up 3-1 in the final seconds of the quarter, doing some nifty maneuvering and making a move to score unassisted. 

“I knew I was by myself,” Bourque said, “so I figured I had to get by the goalie somehow and make her fall down and get around her, and it worked out.” 

It certainly did. The fourth quarter was all about protecting the lead. Goalkeeper Janelle Ward, a junior deserves credit for her efforts defensively. She tallied 14 saves for the afternoon including a clutch save early in the fourth to keep the Ravens at bay. 

Franklin Pierce did manage to rally late; however. With just over a minute left in the game, van Doorn scored her second goal to bring the Ravens within one. 

The Owls were able to close things out and hang on for the 3-2 victory. They had to earn it after the late threat by Franklin Pierce. 

“I think the importance of this win really is to set a standard and set goals for our team for the whole season,” Nolet said. 

Field hockey’s next game will be at Jess Dow Field on Wednesday Sept.15 at 7 p.m. against Adelphi University where they will look to improve to 2-2. 

“There’s a lot of little things we need to improve, it’s the details,” Head coach Kelley Frassinelli said. “But I think they’re already improving on how they communicate with each other, how they stay strong together, and how they encourage and push each other to be their best.” 

For Nolet and Jackson, they will remember this as their first college field hockey win, and the game they each scored their first college goals. 

“I was really happy,” Jackson said. “And once you score a goal, the team gets hyped up and we know that we can keep going.” 

Getting the first win out of the way is a big deal for any team, and after dropping their first two games, pulling out a close one like this is important for establishing some momentum going forward. 

Bourque said, “We’ve been putting in the work and I think it finally showed.” 

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