NEW HAVEN, Conn. (October 4, 2024) – The Sacred Heart University field hockey team was back on its home turf at Johnson Field on Friday afternoon, for the first time in three weeks, and just the second time all season. Unfortunately for the Pioneers, it was visiting Saint Francis which came away with a 2-0 victory in the Northeast Conference contest, courtesy of goals from Madison Waldspurger and Consu de Castro.
 
The loss snapped a seven-game winning streak against NEC competition for SHU (3-7, 2-1 NEC), dating back to last season.
 
The Sacred Heart offense was somewhat snakebit early on. Waldspurger made a highlight-reel defensive save on Cate McConaghy (Newtown Square, Pa.) late in the first quarter, hoisting her stick above her head to redirect a ball ticketed for the upper reaches of the cage. The Pios also had a first-half goal disallowed on a marginal, at best, dangerous shot call on a corner play.
 
In turn, Saint Francis (7-3, 3-0 NEC) got the only goal it would need on a 20^th-minute corner. Cruz Canepa inserted the ball up top for Dolores Zavaleta, who dished off to the left side of the circle for Waldspurger. The junior teed one up from there and cleanly beat both the SHU defense and goalkeeper Samantha Maresca (Mamaroneck, N.Y.) for her second goal of the season.
 
The game was tight statistically, and relatively low-event, as far as the offenses were concerned. SHU held advantages of 8-5 in shot attempts and 4-3 in shots on goal, while each team earned six penalty corners. Both sides had five first-half corners, with the Saint Francis conversion ultimately standing as the winning goal.
 
The Red Flash added an insurance marker on the far side of halftime, in the 34^th minute. Brooklyn Widdess provided the feed from high in the circle on the left side and found de Castro near the penalty spot. The SFU leading scorer made a move around Maresca to the right side and slid the ball home for her seventh goal of the campaign.
 
SHU would have another goal disallowed in the second half, on another dangerous shot call, though this one came with less protest from the coaching staff. Otherwise, the offense dried up for both teams for the remainder of the afternoon. Each side attempted just two shots after halftime.
 
Maresca (3-7) finished with one save against three shots on her goal. Mia DiGenova (7-3) stopped three shots to pick up her third shutout of the season, though she may want to take Waldspurger out to lunch as a thank you for the latter's top-tier defensive save early in the game.
 
SHU is back in action on Sunday, when it hosts Georgetown in a non-conference game at 1 p.m. at Johnson Field. The Pioneers will unveil their 2023 NEC Championship banner prior to the game.