Courtesy of UR Athletics
After trouncing the competition by a combined score of 22-5 in their last five games, the women’s field hockey team couldn’t seem to find their stride against a stiff Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Engineer defense at an away game on Saturday, Oct. 20, as they were shutout in the second half and dropped a 2-1 decision to the Engineers. The match marked the final game of Liberty League regular season play for both squads.
After RPI jumped out to an early lead 14:43 into the first half — thanks to forward Alissa Peterson’s team-leading ninth goal of the season — junior midfielder Lindsey Randall responded for the ’Jackets two minutes later with a goal of her own when junior midfielder Katie Flaschner took a shot but it was deflected and Randall was there to knock in her sixth goal of the season.
RPI midfielder Chloe Hutchinson added to the Engineers’ total later in the half as she salvaged the ball from a tangle of RPI and UR sticks in front of the Yellowjackets’ net. Hutchinson then wound up and pounded the ball into the net to put RPI up by one once more.
The No. 20 ’Jackets exhibited an offensive resurgence in the second half, outshooting the Engineers 11-5. Despite their efforts, however, the visitors drew a blank on the scoreboard during this period. RPI goalkeeper Katie Shea made five of her seven saves in the latter half to squelch the persistent UR attack.
With the loss, the yellow and blue falls to 13-4. Perhaps more importantly, the team finishes Liberty League play in a three-way tie for fourth place in the conference with RPI and Skidmore College. All three teams sport 4-2 records in league play, and will complete a tiebreaker at the end of the regular season to determine seeds for the Liberty League Championships.
UR plays The College at Brockport to conclude the regular season on Saturday, Oct. 22 at Fauver Stadium.
Bernstein is a member of the class of 2014.
