TOWSON, Md. --- Senior forward Kerriann Badessa scored a pair of second half goals as the Moravian College field hockey team shook off the rust of a two-week layoff to rally from a 3-1 halftime deficit for a 4-3 Landmark Conference win over host Goucher College Saturday on the final day of the 2013 regular season.
"We played much better in the second half as a team," stated Head Coach Amy Endler. "Our passing game was great, and we're getting to every loose ball and every 50-50 ball. We kept the pressure on, and kept the ball in the offensive half of the field and really worked well together."
The Greyhounds, who complete the season at 9-8 overall with five one-goal losses including two in overtime and 2-4 in Landmark Conference action, last played on October 19 before a schedule quirk had the squad just practicing for their final match of the season against the Gophers.
Moravian had the first two shots of the match with Goucher's Sarah Cost coming up with a defensive save on a shot off of the stick of sophomore forward Kelly O'Donnell, who had beaten the goalie. However, the Gophers took an early 1-0 lead in the eighth minute on their first shot of the match.
The Greyhounds continued to push and tied the match in the 26th minute when junior midfielder Catherine Duffin put in a rebound of her own shot for her seventh goal of the season.
Goucher answered quickly with goals in the 27th and 29th minutes to build a 3-1 lead heading into the intermission. Moravian got off four shots in the final three and a half minutes of the first half with three on goal including another defensive save by the Gophers.
Just 3:25 into the second half, Moravian would make it a one-goal contest when Badessa took an insertion pass from senior midfielder Chelsea Grotyohann on a penalty corner and drilled a shot from the top left part of the circle into the cage for her seventh goal on the season.
Duffin tied the match in the 46th minute with her eighth tally of the fall when she put a shot into the left corner of the net from the right side on another penalty corner for the Greyhounds.
"Catherine's goals were both off of corners as well," Endler explained. "We moved her around and had her playing on the goalie's pads close to the goal. We put her there because she thrives in that spot. Catherine isn't afraid of the contact or getting hit with the ball so she is in a perfect spot there."
Badessa netted the game-winner, also her eighth goal of the year, when she blasted a penalty corner pass from Grotyohann off of a defender from the top right of the circle and into the cage in the 67th minute.
"Both of Kerri's goals were big and both on corners," Endler said. "Both shots were rockets that found the back of the net. The second one hit one of the Goucher players out front and just ricocheted high over the goalie, who didn't have a chance to stop it."
The Greyhounds dominated the match statistically, holding a 26-8 advantage in shots and a 19-3 edge in penalty corners.
Freshman goalie Megan Kanyuk picked up her first win in the cage for Moravian while playing the last 41 minutes of the contest. Senior Andrea Eck had two saves in her final collegiate contest.
"I'm pleased with the year," Endler explained. "Obviously we wanted to make playoffs but we were tough every game and lost a number of one goal contests. Overall, I'm pleased with what we've done and our progress over the season. Being over .500 is always a good thing and something to build on for next year."
