SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts – The American International College field hockey team won an intense 3-2 victory over Franklin Pierce University in a nonconference matchup of two Northeast 10 Conference teams on Saturday, September 13 at Abdow Field.
AIC improves to 1-3 on the season with the win.
The Yellow Jackets shocked the Ravens with a goal less than a minute in. Fenna Voll worked deep into Franklin Pierce territory before firing a pass to Anella Rossi at the top left of the circle. The grad student hammered the ball into the left side of the cage for her first of the season just 44 seconds into the game.
The Ravens recovered quickly, and tied the game minutes later. A two-on-one down the field led to a shot by Delaney Condon that Frederique den Hartog stopped, but Sage Clukey impressively batted the rebound out of the air and into the net at 2:46.
AIC regained the lead before the midpoint of the quarter. Voll took a shot that Ravens keeper Zoe Noorlag kicked aside, and the Franklin Pierce defense carried the ball to the top of the circle, but Mia Wood was waiting to strip it away at the line. She stepped back down to cage and blasted in her first goal of the season at 6:26, putting AIC up 2-1.
Midway through the second, the Ravens once again tied the contest. It was a scrum in front that saw den Hartog make the initial save, followed by a Wood defensive save, but the third try was knocked home by Abigail Tarka 8:18 into the frame.
In the third, AIC found the net again. The play started 35 yards from the net, where Victoria Nelson intercepted a pass and pushed the ball forward to Milagros Zanatelli. The midfielder was able to cross with a pass of her own as she entered the circle from the right side, and Voll collected it just behind the defense at the stroke dot, powering a shot into the cage for her first of the season at 4:19.
From there, the story was the defense and the work of den Hartog, who stopped seven shots down the stretch and kept the Ravens off the board to hang on for the win. She made 16 saves in all, and helped AIC not allow a penalty corner goal despite nine chances against, including two in the final minute of regulation.
AIC will play another nonconference game against an NE10 opponent when the Yellow Jackets visit Southern New Hampshire University on Wednesday, September 17 at 6:00 p.m. The team returns home for its NE10 opener with Mercy University on Saturday, September 20 at 3:00 p.m.
