#10 Field Hockey Blanked by St. Michael's 1-0
#10 Field Hockey Blanked by St. Michael's 1-0
Links: Box Score
COLCHESTER, Vt. – Despite firing 12 shots on net, the 10th-ranked Merrimack College field hockey team suffered only its second shutout setback of the season, 1-0, in a road Northeast-10 Conference tilt at Saint Michael's College Wednesday afternoon.
The Basics
Score: Saint Michael's 1, #10 Merrimack 0
Records: #10 Merrimack (5-4, 1-2 NE-10) | Saint Michael's (6-3, 2-0 NE-10)
Location: Duffy Field | Colchester, Vt.
How It Happened
Saint Michael's controlled the momentum through the game's first 20 minutes, holding Merrimack to only one shot attempt while junior Madison Davis (San Jose, Calif.) kept the Warriors in the game with six saves over that span.
But at the 22:52 mark, Cassaundra Davis finally capitalized after Davis gave it her all, turning away back-to-back chances – including a rebound shot at close-range – before Davis buried the third-chance attempt to put the hosts on the board, 1-0.
That marker woke the visitors, as Merrimack outshot Saint Michael's by an 8-0 margin over the remainder of the first half but were denied time and time again by Purple Knights goaltender Jackie Chisholm, who finished with nine saves. The Saint Michael's backline also bailed out Chisholm on two occasions, as two separate defensive saves were recorded during that span to keep the Warriors off the scoreboard.
The second half began with Merrimack still controlling the pace of play, as the Navy and Gold outshot the Purple Knights by a 9-1 margin in the second half and held a 5-0 advantage in penalty corners but could not find the equalizer each time. The visitors' best opportunity came at the 51:21 mark after freshman Taylor Simpson (York, Maine) ripped a shot on a seemingly open net, but Saint Michael's defender Hannah Beardsley was there for the team's third defensive save of the game.
Merrimack would register three more shots on net, but all three were turned away by Chisholm to preserve the shutout.
Inside The Numbers
- Merrimack outshot Saint Michael's by a 17-8 margin in attempts and a 12-7 edge in shots on goal
- Davis finished with six saves for the Warriors compared to nine for Chisholm
- In total, the Warriors owned a 9-2 lead in penalty corners, including the aforementioned 5-0 edge in the second half
- Junior Christine Zubkus (Dover, N.H.) led the Warriors with four shots – all on target
Up Next
Merrimack returns home after nearly two weeks away from campus for a challenging test against reigning league champion and national runner-up LIU Post, who was ranked sixth in the latest NFHCA National Rankings. First whistle this Saturday (Oct. 11) at Martone-Mejail Field is set for 11 a.m.
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