NEWBERRY - A pair of second quarter goals and a record-setting performance by
Brady Keeler propelled Newberry to a 3-2 win over conference-leading Queens Wednesday night.
The Wolves had gained an early 1-0 lead but the game took a turn in the second quarter when Newberry (12-4, 8-3 South Atlantic Conference Carolinas) shocked the Royals (11-6, 9-2), turning a one-goal lead into a 3-0 game in a matter of seconds. With Newberry leading 1-0,
Kristyna Oyola slotted a pass from the edge of the circle that found
Brady Keeler's stick, whose subtle redirect flicked past the keeper to double the advantage.
Forty-two seconds later, the Wolves struck again. Keeler rocketed a pass for
Chantel Gauthier that was tapped in, making the lead a formidable three-goal advantage and flipping Newberry's strategy from an offensive-minded attack to a defensive one for the second half.
Head coach
Hannah Dave had stressed the importance of a strong start prior to the match. "We knew that in order to take down this high-caliber team we had to get on top early and be relentless throughout the contest." The Wolves wasted no time as they came out of the gate firing away shots and earning crucial penalty corners, leading 9-2 in shots and 4-2 in corners at the break, but the 3-0 halftime advantage allowed the Wolves to strategize a game plan to buckle down in case of a Royals comeback.
In the fourth, the Royals turned on the offensive pressure they tallied six shots and earned four penalty corners in attempts to make a comeback. Newberry's defense held off the Royals in the closing minutes, showing grit and determination to see the game out in a victory. The Wolves' defense was sparked by the efforts of Gauthier, who served as the flyer on penalty corners and showed relentless effort on both sides of the ball.
Elise Utne and
Alice Jackson helped her teammate out as they fought to poke the ball away to win back possession.
Charlotte Bragard played a huge role as she denied a multitude of shots from reaching the back of the cage. The Royals nearly found the equalizer multiple times late in the game but Bragard and the Wolves were able to secure the victory.
Keeler paced the Wolves with a pair of goals and an assist, extending her career lead in points and overtaking the top spot in the Newberry record books in career goals. The senior forward now has 29 goals and 70 points in her illustrious career.
Farai Kawonde assisted on Keeler's seventh-minute goal that opened the scoring.
Newberry's efficiency was on display during tonight's matchup as they placed eight out of nine shots on target, getting by the keeper on three occasions. The Wolves were ultimately outshot 12-9 but the shot count could not replace the final outcome.
The Wolves will play one final conference match against Belmont Abbey College to wrap up the regular season. The Wolves will travel to Belmont, N.C on Saturday Nov. 2nd and kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. Newberry will then enter the South Atlantic Conference Carolinas Field Hockey Championship as the No. 2 seed on Friday, Nov. 8 on the Queens campus in Charlotte.
