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Oct. 3, 2012
MERION STATION, Pa. - Senior Meghan Githens turned in the first multi-goal game of her career to provide all the necessary offense as the Saint Joseph's field hockey team beat Villanova, 2-1, at Ellen Ryan Field on Wednesday afternoon. The win is the second in a row for the Hawks over the Wildcats; SJU earned a 3-2 overtime victory in the previous meeting in 2011. It is also the first time that the Hawks have beaten Villanova in consecutive meetings since winning three straight between 1994 and 1996.
Six of the past seven contests in the rivalry have been settled by one goal, and the latest iteration proved no different. Saint Josephs (3-9) took the lead with 20:18 remaining in the first half as Githens slotted home her second goal of the year after a crisp passing sequence; after inserting on a penalty corner, Githens took a feed from senior Jordan Cotter to put the Hawks on top. Githens struck again two minutes later, redirecting a pass from sophomore Nicole Gerdes past the Wildcats' Alex Diekmann for a two-goal lead. Villanova (6-6) got on the board with 5:37 to play in the frame as Olivia Maggitti scored on a pass from Kayla Kenney to get the Wildcats back within a goal at halftime. Junior goalkeeper Kate Mitchell made three of her four saves in the second half to keep the Hawks on top despite a furious Villanova rally.
The win snaps a four-game skid for Saint Joseph's, which wrapped up the non-conference portion of its schedule with the win. The Hawks will open Atlantic 10 play on Sunday at Saint Louis. Game time is set for 1:00 p.m. Eastern. |
