NEWBERRY- The Newberry College field hockey team had its four-game win streak snapped at the hands of Belmont Abbey on Saturday morning. The Wolves (5-3, 4-2 South Atlantic Conference Carolinas) made a valiant comeback but fell short, dropping a 4-3 decision to the Crusaders(6-4, 5-1).
The opening minutes of the game suggested a stalemate game as no team established dominance. The Crusaders were able to get the scoring rolling in the 14th minute, right before the end of the first quarter. Mia Maminski was able to dribble right down the middle of the Wolves defense and sneak one past goalkeeper
Charlotte Bragard.
The Crusaders attempted to pull away from the Wolves in the second quarter after scoring a goal in the 22nd but the Wolves were quick to respond.
Chantel Gauthier managed to break through after collecting a pass from freshmen
Kelli Marshall and executing the drive, making the score 2-1 going into halftime. Newberry looked to make halftime adjustments as the Crusaders finished the half with a 4-1 shot advantage.
The Wolves sparked a late run in the second half when Junior
Farai Kawonde displayed her talents by taking on an entire defensive unit on her own, dribbling down the right flank to slot one home for her team. The Wolves had just given up a goal 45 seconds before Kawonde's solo effort. The Wolves showed urgency by pushing numbers up the field when the opportunity presented itself.
The Crusaders worked at regaining possession and were able to notch a goal to make the score 4-2 after Abbey Playle put one in the back of the cage, receiving an assist from Maddie Mitchell. Newberry felt the need to advance up the field and did so in the fourth quarter, earning five penalty corners in hopes of slotting one in. The strategy was proven successful when
Brady Keeler received a pass off a penalty corner from Krisyna Oyola to make the game interesting, scoring a beautiful goal. The Wolves battled by earning several corner opportunities within the last minutes of the game. With five minutes remaining coach
Hannah Dave's team fought hard, taking four shots that barely missed the mark and they fell short of an equalizing goal despite their passionate effort.
The Wolves will return to action on Wednesday, Oct. 9th as they travel to Mount Olive, N.C. Newberry looks to sweep the Trojans in the conference matchup, which will begin at 5 pm.
