FARMINGTON, Maine – Saint Joseph's College (12-2, 5-0 GNAC) scored a pair of goals just 31 seconds apart in the second half to defeat Maine-Farmington (7-5, 3-1 NAC), 2-0, in a non-conference field hockey match on Tuesday afternoon.
Inclement weather certainly played a role in today's contest, as the in-state rivals and former conference foes dodged steady rain throughout the match. In a testament to the rainfall, the typically high-scoring teams combined for a total of just 10 shots on the afternoon.
In a defensive-minded first half, the Beavers outshot the Monks by a 2-0 margin and opened the second stanza with a flurry of attempts, forcing freshman keeper Hillary Nash (Falmouth, Maine) to make three stops during a 40-second window, preserving the scoreless stalemate with 31:47 remaining.
With shots at a premium, the Monks proceeded to score on their first attempt of the game, which occurred at the 41:16 mark when senior Effie Drew (Portland, Maine) set up a Kelsey Dumond (Lewiston, Maine) goal with a nice individual effort. Using her quickness, Drew carved the end line and dished a cross to Dumond, who was stationed in front of the UMF cage and delivered a one-timer past Beavers keeper Patty Smith (Gorham, Maine).
Saint Joseph's continued to pour on the pressure and capitalized only 31 seconds later when freshman Hayley Winslow (Falmouth, Maine) scored after collecting a rebound in close proximity to the Beavers' goalmouth.
In goal, Nash credited with her first collegiate victory after making three saves during 35 minutes of shutout play in the second half. Sophomore Emma Astbury (Bridgewater, Vt.) earned the start and posted one stop in the first half. Smith tallied a pair of saves in a losing effort for the Beavers.
Overall, Saint Joseph's held a slim 6-4 lead in penalty corners while both programs notched five shots in the non-conference match-up.
With the victory, Saint Joseph's improves to 10-21 in the history of the series with Maine-Farmington. The Monks have defeated the Beavers in seven of the last nine meetings.
Saint Joseph's will host Simmons College in a battle of the last two unbeaten teams in GNAC play this Saturday at 1:00 PM. Maine-Farmington plays at Thomas College at 11:00 AM on Saturday.
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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.
