#6 LIU Post Edges #10 Field Hockey, 4-2, Saturday
#6 LIU Post Edges #10 Field Hockey, 4-2, Saturday
Links: Box Score
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – After fighting back from a two-goal halftime deficit and nearly tying the game, the 10th-ranked Merrimack College field hockey team was denied its comeback bid by sixth-ranked LIU Post University, as the Warriors suffered their third straight loss at the hands of the reigning league champion Pioneers in a Saturday morning league clash.
The Basics
Score: #6 LIU Post 4, #10 Merrimack 2
Records: #10 Merrimack (5-5, 1-3 NE-10) | #6 LIU Post (6-1, 2-0 NE-10)
Location: Martone-Mejail Field | North Andover, Mass.
How It Happened
Playing for the first time since their meeting in last year NCAA Semifinals, Merrimack and LIU battled through rainy and dreary conditions most of the morning, as the Pioneers built themselves a 2-0 lead and carried that into the intermission.
Dani Crouse scored for the visitors on a penalty corner just 2:35 into regulation after her blast was deflected into the cage by a Merrimack stick; later in the frame, Kaycee Zelkovsky buried a cross from Stephanie Ruhle to make it 2-0 at the 16:11 mark, as the Pioneers stole the momentum in the early goings.
After the break, Merrimack wasted no time in making it a one-goal game, as sophomore Nicole Bradley (Essex, Mass.) thread a shot that bounced through the Pioneer defense and under goalkeeper Ericka Parks for the Warriors' first goal of the game at 40:22.
Feeding off that momentum switch, Merrimack took over the ensuing 10 minutes and nearly tied it on a tip shot by Bradley on a penalty corner that sailed just high.
But the Pioneers withheld that pressure and put the game out of reach with two goals within a five-minute span, upping their lead to 4-1 and forcing the Warriors to come back from three down in the final 15 minutes.
Try as they may, the hosts would only get to within two thanks to a late tally from freshman Rylee Hammond (Phillipston, Mass.), who tapped in a nifty shot by junior Christine Zubkus (Dover, N.H.) on the goal line. That would be it for the hosts, who dropped their third straight contest in the process.
Inside The Numbers
- After being outshot by eight (10-2) in the first half, Merrimack finished down by only two shot attempts, as LIU held a final edge of 18-16 in attempts, with 10 on net
- After LIU owned a 5-0 lead in penalty corners at the break, Merrimack finished with a 9-8 advantage in that category
- Junior Madison Davis (San Jose, Calif.) finished with six saves, while Parks turned away seven Merrimack shots
- Bradley led all Warriors with four shot attempts, including two on net
Up Next
Merrimack returns to action this Friday (Oct. 17) to welcome American International to campus for a league battle under the lights at Martone-Mejail Field. First whistle is set for 7 p.m.
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