Caroline Hamilton moved into a tie for second among Liberty League teams with six goals, adding two Wednesday night, and
Lily Gubbins notched two goals of her own as St. Lawrence University field hockey team took a victory. They remained undefeated at home with a 4-2 win over Utica.
The win is their second straight scoring four goals, as the team ramps up for conference play beginning next week.
"We played a very good first half," said head coach
Fran Grembowicz. "We moved the ball very well and played solid defensively. Utica came out strong in the second, and we had to adjust, but we finished well."
St. Lawrence had the game's opening goal in the first quarter, with
Lily Gubbins taking a pass in the middle, protecting the ball, and firing a low shot that beat Utica goalkeeper Hannah Young to make it 1-0 Saints.
After the teams traded shots, Hamilton got her first of the evening at 19:36.
Sydney LeClair took a pass on the left side of the goal but fanned on her shot. It rolled right to the team leader in goals and she made no mistake to make it 2-0 Scarlet and Brown.
St. Lawrence would add an insurance goal off the stick of Gubbins, and it turns out they needed it. In the third quarter, Mia Benincasa scored for Utica on a one-timed shot to get the Pioneers on the board, and then they made it a one goal game right at the start of the fourth quarter. Utica then received a series of penalty corners in the mid portions of the fourth quarter, but
Elizabeth Walsh and the Saints defense stood tall and fended off the chances.
The Saints turned to Hamilton to restore a two-goal lead, and she answered the call. Finding herself point-blank in front of Young, she picked a corner to make it 4-2 St. Lawrence, which stood as the final score.
Walsh stopped four shots in the winning effort – her second of the year, which improves her record to 2-2. St. Lawrence outshot Utica 15-10, but Utica had the advantage in penalty corners 11-10.
St. Lawrence now heads to Keuka this Saturday, September 21, before a road game against Skidmore opens conference play on Saturday, September 28.
