IMMACULATA, Pa.– Eastern University Field Hockey (2-0) took advantage of an early goal and weathered a storm to earn a 2-0 win at Immaculata.
Ali Balmer picked up two more assists in the win.
How It Happened:
For the second straight outing, the Eagles jumped on the board in the early going. As had happened in the final two goals against Albright,
Ali Balmer set up Abir Geisler for a goal from a tight area. In the third minute of the match, Eastern pressure forced an Immaculata turnover in a deep position.
Harper Sellers bumped the Eagles initial touch forward to
Becky Howard on the wing. Howard then played a central ball to Balmer who earned the circle and found Geisler on the doorstep. Geisler swept home her third of the year.
The Eagles had sustained pressure after the goal, but a lightning delay paused the game with just over six minutes to go in the opening quarter. After about forty minutes the teams returned to the field to resume play.
The Mighty Macs (0-2) seemed to regroup during the delay and the match moved to a more pack-and-forth affair. Early in the second quarter, the hosts had their best chance to equalize on a penalty stroke.
Kylie Troyer was up to the task and the Eagles held a 1-0 lead going to the halftime break.
The Eastern lead stayed at a goal until the first minute of the fourth when Balmer flicked a reverse-stick shot toward goal and
Lindsay Estep poked it home for her first collegiate tally.
The Eagles finished with a 13-8 edge in shots. Troyer made five stops to pick up her first career shutout.
Coach Azzarano Says:
"Scoring early today was critically important as we struggled to maintain possession of the ball for most of the 1st and 2nd quarters. There was lots of back and forth play through the midfield and Immaculata did a nice job of taking away our opportunities up the middle of the field."
"Finally breaking through and registering the second goal early in the 4th quarter gave us some extra security. With that, we were able to find some calm to work in a more composed manner. Balmer and Becky Howard did a great job of attacking with speed. Lily White and Moriah Greene were critical on the defensive end. We did a good job limiting their chances on corners. Kylie continues to show her quick abilities while building her confidence."
"This is a tough week for us with little recovery time. We are looking to come out strong on Wednesday against a very tough Rowan team."
Up Next:
The Eagles host No. 3 Rowan on Wednesday afternoon.
