NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (September 27, 2024) – For the second straight outing, the Sacred Heart University field hockey team dominated the stats sheet, but struggled to make it show through on the scoreboard on Friday afternoon. This time though, the Pioneers ultimately came away winners, with a 2-1 (2 OT/SO) victory in Northeast Conference play at Merrimack. SHU converted on all three of its shootout opportunities at Duane Stadium, after posting advantages of 25-6 in shot attempts and 14-3 in shots on goal over the course of the game.
Including last season's NEC tournament, it marked the seventh straight NEC victory for SHU (3-6, 2-0 NEC).
The Pios were statistically dominant throughout the proceedings, and were able to open up a 1-0 lead on a 38
th-minute penalty corner.
Cate McConaghy (Newtown Square, Pa.) inserted to the top of the circle for
Hannah Fawle (Collaroy, Australia). Fawle, who had an assist earlier in the week at Holy Cross, put a long shot through traffic which found its way all the way home to open the scoring. It was Fawle's first goal in more than two years, as she last scored on Sept. 11, 2022, at Dartmouth.
While SHU enjoyed the lead, it was also the only goal the red and white would score, despite 14 penalty corners in the second half. The missed opportunities allowed Merrimack (0-7, 0-1 NEC) to equalize in the 55
th minute, with just 5:23 remaining in regulation. Emily Beichert got loose on the right side of the circle and took a long shot through the defense which tucked inside the left post for her first goal of the season.
From there, the game went scoreless through the final five minutes of regulation and both overtimes, though not for lack of trying from SHU. The Pioneers had seven more corners across the two overtime periods – to none for Merrimack – but could not find the game-winner.
Fortunately, the Pios were able to take care of business swiftly in the shootout to avoid falling in a contest they controlled throughout. SHU converted on each of its first three shootout attempts, with
Jenna Baxter (Lebanon, Maine),
Aine Keaney (New City, N.Y.) and
Blaire Sparks (Medford, N.J.) all finding the net. Merrimack got a conversion in the third round from Whitney Dacko, but when Julie Wester's shot sailed wide in the fourth round, SHU sealed the 2-1 victory, via a 3-1 shootout margin.
Samantha Maresca (Mamaroneck, N.Y.) stopped two of the three shots on her cage and wound up with the win (3-6) in the Sacred Heart net. Isabelle Gardiner (0-7) was under siege all afternoon at the other end and finished with 13 saves against 14 shots in a losing effort for Merrimack.
SHU is home at Johnson Field on Sunday, for a non-conference tilt against Saint Louis at 4 p.m.
