NEW HAVEN, Conn. (September 20, 2024) – Just like last year's meeting, the Sacred Heart University field hockey team struck first on Friday night at Yale. However, just like last year's meeting, it was all Yale from that point at Johnson Field. The Bulldogs scored three times before the first half was out and ran up a 29-3 shots advantage on the way to a 5-1 win in non-conference play. Aine Keaney (New City, N.Y.) scored for SHU, her second goal in as many games.
 
Sacred Heart (2-5) came out strong on Friday evening, needing just 3:20 to find the game's opening tally. Celia Benson (Scituate, Mass.) played the ball into the circle from the midfield and found Cassie Chapjian (Medford, N.J.) near the penalty spot. Chapjian took a touch and then dished off to the right for Keaney, who made one move to elude the goalkeeper and then put away her second goal of the campaign. It was the third time in her career Keaney has scored in back-to-back games, a feat she has now accomplished in three straight seasons.
 
From there though, Yale (4-1) took over. The Bulldogs converted on corner plays in the ninth and 24^th minutes to take the lead by the latter stages of the second quarter. In the ninth minute, Ellie Barlow inserted and then made her way to the left post. She was there to redirect home the shot of Issy Baileff for her fourth goal of the year. Barlow ran the same play in the 24^th minute and was on the scene to clean up a rebound off the post to record her first career multiple-goal game.
 
Emma Ramsey found and put away a loose ball in the goalmouth in the 29^th minute for her first collegiate goal, as Yale took a 3-1 lead into halftime. Victoria Collee struck once in the third quarter and again in the fourth to push the final margin out to 5-1. It marked the first two career goals for the first-year midfielder.
 
Samantha Maresca (Mamaroneck, N.Y.) finished with seven saves against 12 shots and suffered the loss (2-5) in front of the Sacred Heart cage. Alexa Pitts (4-1) was beaten on the only shot on her goal but still picked up the win for Yale.
 
Friday was SHU's only game of the week, but the team has three games waiting for them next week. The Pioneers will visit Holy Cross on Wednesday and Merrimack on Friday, before returning home to host Saint Louis on Sunday.