NEW HAVEN, Conn. (September 17, 2023) – The Sacred Heart University field hockey team held its own and held the lead in the first half on Sunday afternoon at Johnson Field, but the second half was a different story. Ashley Kim scored twice in the third quarter to turn the tide, as host Yale rallied for a 3-1 victory in the non-conference contest.
Isabelle Chamberlain (North Yorkshire, United Kingdom) scored on a first-quarter penalty stroke for the Pios, for her team-leading fourth goal of the season.
The first half was highly competitive, with Yale holding a 7-6 advantage in shot attempts and each team recording a pair of shots on target. The only goal of the first 30 minutes came in the latter stages of the first quarter. In the 11
th minute,
Madelyn Kidd (Hillsborough, N.J.) headed a charge down the right side and into the circle, which ultimately yielded a penalty stroke for SHU. Chamberlain stood over the stroke and calmly slotted it into the lower right corner to open the scoring.
The remainder of the first half went without further scoring, before Yale (2-4) turned up the heat in the second half, to the tune of a 13-3 margin in shots. It was Kim who did the heavy lifting on the comeback trail for the Bulldogs, as she bookended the third quarter with goals. The equalizer was her first of the season and came off a penalty corner in the 34
th minute. Hettie Whittington swept a shot from the top of the circle and Kim provided a redirect to the top shelf from the penalty spot.
Kim later put Yale ahead to stay in the 42
nd minute. Emma Ramsey eluded a defender in the midfield and sent a feed ahead into the circle. Lauren Venter got on the other end of the pass, attracted the goalkeeper's attention, and laid the ball off to the left for Kim. The latter then lifted a shot over the goalmouth traffic for her second goal of the afternoon.
SHU (1-5) was unable to muster a shot attempt over the final 18 minutes after Yale took the lead. The Bulldogs got some insurance in the 56
th minute, courtesy of Poppy Beales, who collected the rebound of a blocked shot and put home a drive from distance on the right side for her second of the campaign, to create the 3-1 final.
Samantha Maresca (Mamaroneck, N.Y.) finished with seven saves against 10 shots and suffered the loss (1-5) in front of the SHU cage. Luanna Summer (2-4) stopped two of three shots at the other end for Yale.
The Pios are back in action in a week, when they host Cornell in a non-conference tilt on Sept. 24. Game time is set for 2 p.m. at Johnson Field.
