BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Moravian College field hockey team used a fast start to get out to a 2-0 lead against rival Muhlenberg College on Wednesday afternoon at Betty Prince Field, then held on for a 2-1 victory as the Mules mounted a second-half comeback.
First-half goals by senior forward Keriann Badessa and junior forward Cayley Wise gave the Greyhounds (6-3) a comfortable cushion, but Muhlenberg launched a comeback attempt with a goal in the 46th minute, leaving senior goalkeeper Andrea Eck and the Moravian defense to withstand a breathless final five minutes.
The Greyhounds held on and won their third match in a row, and their first against Muhlenberg since 2010.
"We came out really strong," said head coach Amy Endler, whose squad won back-to-back games on Saturday and Sunday. "We took the momentum from the weekend and took it to the field today. We put them on their heels a little bit, and it gave us great confidence to score early. We played with a chip on our shoulder in the first half, then held on during a tough second half."
Badessa scored her team-leading sixth goal of the season in the 19th minute off a penalty corner play executed by senior midfielder Chelsea Grotyohann. The senior captain, and penalty corner specialist, played a skipping ball to Badessa, who launched a shot to the far post and in for the 1-0 lead.
"Keri's been playing awesome," Endler said. "She's all over the field and really no one can stop her right now, unless they foul her. Seeing her dribble down the field; I don't know how she does it sometimes. It's beautiful to watch."
Less than three minutes later, Wise scored the eventual game-winning goal by cleaning up a rebounded ball played by junior midfielder Valerie Male in front of the Muhlenberg cage for an early 2-0 lead. It was the junior's third goal of the season, which only made Wise hungry for more.
"It feels great," Wise said. "It's honestly tough to remember the play because it was such a blur. I remember the ball coming off the goalie's pads and I kept trying to shoot it in. I finally got one over for the goal. Scoring a goal gets me so pumped up on the field, and after we celebrate, I just focus on scoring another."
After the Mules (2-5) brought the score to 2-1, Moravian just missed an insurance goal in the 55th minute when a penalty stroke from sophomore defender Rebecca Hamel sailed just high over the Muhlenberg crossbar. After the near miss, Muhlenberg picked up the pressure on the Moravian defense.
Eck, who finished the match with five saves, withstood three penalty corners and saved two shots in the game's final 10 minutes. The Greyhound defense stuck together with a couple key clearances and smart possessions to help the clock tick away without a Muhlenberg equalizer.
"They responded well," Endler said. "They banded together and didn't give in to the pressure. They dug deep when they knew how important it was to get the ball out of our circle and in our possession. If we have the ball, they can't score. It was a gut check there, and it turned out really well."
Wise made good on her only shot of the day, and netted her first game-winning goal of the season. The statistical reward was icing on the cake of a seasons' worth of hard word thus far, according to her head coach.
"Cayley was in the right place at the right time," Endler said. "She's been doing all the right things; getting shots on goal and getting tips. She always does what we ask her to do and we're very happy for her success."
The three-game winning streak has the Greyhounds headed for the advent of Landmark Conference play at a full sprint. Moravian opens its conference slate on Saturday with a home match against Susquehanna University at 1 p.m. on Rocco Calvo Field. In their last meeting in 2012, Susquehanna knocked off the Greyhounds 2-0, which kept Moravian out of the conference playoffs.
"We have a little momentum going and a little confidence heading into conference play," Endler said. "Susquehanna knocked us out of playoff contention last year, so that will be a big motivator for us. There's going to be a big revenge factor going into that game."
Wednesday afternoon's win over Muhlenberg drew Moravian College even with its rival in the 2013-14 Matte Award standings. A Mules' win in men's soccer on Sept. 11 gave the Allentown school a 1-0 advantage before the Moravian field hockey team drew the score even at one win apiece. The next Matte Award match is a women's tennis battle on Thursday, Oct. 3 in Allentown.
