Mayson Blondek scored early and goalkeeper
Cara Vredenburg dazzled in a stellar road performance, but Ithaca College got back into the game and scored two unanswered goals, handing the St. Lawrence Saints field hockey team their fifth straight loss with a 2-1 final score Saturday afternoon in Ithaca, N.Y.
The Saints now hold a 3-9 record on the season and drop to 0-3 in Liberty League play.
"Our first quarter was terrific, but we weren't able to adjust to Ithaca's strong play in the second half," said
Fran Grembowicz, Saints field hockey head coach. "Cara kept us in the game and was outstanding in net."
St. Lawrence took a 1-0 lead 6:25 into the game as
Caroline Hamilton found
Mayson Blondek on the first shot of the contest.
Ithaca outshot St. Lawrence 9-0 in the second quarter, but Vredenburg held off the Bombers (9-3) but all three shots that were on goal were stopped to keep it 1-0.
IC tied the game at 1-1 within the opening minute of the third quarter as a cross from Natalie Descalso was tipped by Juliana Valli and then glanced off a St. Lawrence defender into the goal.
Early in the fourth quarter, Ithaca peppered the St. Lawrence defense with 11 shots on goal and seven corners in a three-minute span, but Vredenberg was up to the tall task and stopped every attempt to keep the game at 1-1.
Ithaca finally sent one past Vredenberg with 8:01 left in regulation as Brenna Schoenfeld sent the corner insert over to Descalso, who ripped the shot off a Saints' defender into the back of the net to give the Bombers a 2-1 lead.
The Saints will try to find their winning ways once more when they get back in action Friday, Oct. 13 with a road contest at Vassar in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
