Bethlehem, Pa. – The Moravian College field hockey team took on Landmark Conference opponent Juniata College on a cold and damp afternoon at Rocco Calvo Field on Saturday in their annual Play4theCure game. A give and take match where it could have been anyone's game came down to the final minutes when the Eagles would take the lead 1-0 that the Greyhounds didn't recover from.
"It's tough to come out on the losing end of a game like that," commented Head Coach Amy Endler "I thought we played hard, and we didn't back down from them. Juniata is a really good team with a great record, but they had to win it. We didn't give it to them. I'm proud of the team's effort but it's an unfortunate outcome."
Both teams would battle for possession the entire game. A defensive save by sophomore defender Shauna Poling would keep both teams scoreless heading to halftime. In the second half, the Hounds would have the opportunity to be first on the scoreboard with back-to-back shots by sophomore midfielder/forward Christina Duddy would follow up rebound of her first shot, but both were saved around the 53rd minute.
The Blue and Grey were on the attack again in the 64th minute as junior forward Kelly O'Donnell sprinted down field on a breakaway, forcing the keeper off her line to make the save. With time winding down, the Eagles found their way into Hounds territory earning a penalty corner that was saved, but earned a penalty stroke that put them on the board 1-0. With 1:54 left to play, the Greyhounds were unable to counter in the final minutes.
"To have it come down to a stroke is tough," stated Endler "We played hard and it showed what we can do against a high caliber team. We rose to the occasion which I am proud of and hope we can take this momentum to our upcoming conference matches."
Sophomore goalkeeper Megan Kanyuk finished with four saves while Poling had two defensive saves. Seniors Emily Marley and Bryn Tafuri each had one defensive save in the match.
The field hockey team returns to action on Wednesday, October 15 at 4:30 p.m. when they travel to Elizabethtown College for more conference action.
