MIDDLETOWN, RI – Saint Joseph's College (4-0) remained undefeated with a 2-1 victory over Salve Regina University (1-4) in a non-conference field hockey contest on Saturday afternoon.

After a tough defensive battle to open the first period, freshman Elizabeth O'Neal (Topsham, Maine) broke open the scoring with her first goal of the season to give the Monks a 1-0 lead with less than 15 minutes to play in the opening half.

Following three quick shots in front of the cage, Saint Joseph's drew a foul in front and Senior Rachelle Messuri (Atkinson, N.H.) converted a penalty shot to take a 2-0 lead just 2:32 after the O'Neal marker.

Salve Regina freshman Courtney McMorrow (Montclair, N.J.) set up sophomore Mary Cain (Montpelier, Vt.) in front of the cage with a quick pass to her left as Cain shot it past the Monks' keeper to cut the Saint Joseph's lead in half, 2-1, 15 minutes into the second half.

Salve Regina was not able to get the tying shot off in the second half as both defenses held strong. Freshman goalie Emma Astbury (Bridgewater, Vt.) required just one save to collect the win for Saint Joseph's while junior keeper Murphy McCann (Westerly, R.I.) had six stops for Salve Regina in the loss.

Salve Regina returns to action when the Seahawks travel to Springfield, Mass. to open Commonwealth Coast Conference action against Western New England on Wednesday, September 18th at 7:00 PM. The Monks play at Simmons College on Saturday, September 21st at 12:00 PM.

COURTESY OF SALVE REGINA UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 430-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.