SELINSGROVE, Pa. --- Senior midfielder Catherine Duffin scored a pair of first-half goals to become the fourth player in Moravian College history to reach 30 career goals as the Greyhounds posted a 2-1 Landmark Conference victory at Susquehanna University Saturday afternoon.
"I'm very proud of the effort our team gave today on the road," stated Head Coach Amy Endler. "Building a two-goal lead at halftime was great, but I knew that Susquehanna would come out fired up in the second half. We withstood their barrage of shots and offensive pressure."
The Hounds had the opening shot attempt of the match as sophomore forward Erin Tiwold had a shot blocked in the fourth minute. Just over two minutes later, sophomore goalie Megan Kanyuk made the first of eight saves to keep the match scoreless.
Moravian would get its first penalty corner 6:53 into the match, and the Greyhounds would get three shots with the first by junior midfielder Ely Vazquez and the other two by Duffin with the second one finding the back of the cage for her team-leading seventh goal of the season.
The Crusaders made a strong push to tie the match over the next five minutes by putting a pair of shots on Kanyuk and having three penalty corners. Moravian would take a pair of penalty corners in the final four minutes of the second half with Duffin taking shots on both. After being wide on her first attempt, Duffin dribbled into the circle and fired a shot into the right side of the cage for her 30th career goal with just 2:04 before the intermission. Duffin is fourth in school history with 77 career points.
Susquehanna made another strong push early in the second half with Kanyuk stopping one shot and two others blocked by the Greyhounds' defense. The Crusaders would cut the lead in half with a goal in the 45th minute.
The teams would trade shots over the next eight minutes with one on goal by Susquehanna and one from Duffin for the Hounds. Kanyuk would make her biggest save of the match in the 54th minute when she stopped a penalty stroke to keel the Greyhounds' lead at 2-1. After that stop, Kanyuk was tested just once more in the 63rd minute, making her eighth and final save to preserve the victory.
"Bryn Tafuri played incredible today in the circle as well as stepping up in the open field intercepting passes," commented Endler. "Catherine Duffin on offense was determined to find the back of the cage. On both goals it was pure effort and skill on her part to put us on the scoreboard. We will need the same type of effort as we face two more conference games on the road."
Moravian will return to action on Thursday, October 23 when the squad returns to Betty Prince Field to host Marywood University in a non-conference match starting at 4:00 p.m.