No. 11 Rutgers field hockey battles but falls to No. 13 Saint Joseph's
The Rutgers field hockey team suffered a 1-0 loss to Saint Joseph's at the Bauer Track & Field Complex on Livingston campus Wednesday afternoon. The Scarlet Knights (2-2, 0-0) could not get it done in the midweek matchup, getting shut out by the Hawks (3-1,0-0).
No. 11 Rutgers got off to a hot start against No.13 Saint Joseph's. The Knights handled the opening momentum, drawing the game's first corner, but were unable to score.
Off the bat, it was clear that Rutgers had the energy, an obvious shift from the Knights' last game against UConn. Despite not scoring, the Hawks matched pace, but the home team managed to stay in control.
At the end of the first, Rutgers received another corner chance, but goaltender Marith Bijkerk kept the game scoreless.
The second frame was played much more in the middle of the field. The Knights only managed one shot, and Saint Joseph's only put up two.
The Hawks were awarded a penalty corner in the second, but Rutgers turned it away quickly.
The match would stay deadlocked and scoreless into halftime, but both teams returned ready to play in the second half.
The Knights held possession for most of the third period, playing toward the Saint Joseph's net. Still, time wound down, and the third ended scoreless again.
The Hawks managed to turn momentum early in the final 15 minutes, as Alison Buffington put a tally on the score sheet in the opening minute of the quarter.
Things shifted after Saint Joseph's took the lead. The visitors took control in the last frame, outshooting Rutgers 4-1.
The Knights tried until the end to draw up a play and get on the board, even putting up an empty net for the final three minutes of play. Ultimately, Rutgers could not get it done, falling to the Hawks in a 1-goal final.
Despite losing to Saint Joseph's, head coach Meredith Civico still saw some bright spots in her team.
"The possession was so much better," Civico said. "We created 27 circle (entries) against these guys. (That's) really good, they are not giving up a lot this season."
The Knights will continue to fight and hope to bounce back in their next game against Miami (Ohio) on Sunday.
"We have to keep working, we have to recover well," Civico said. "Miami of Ohio is a great team. We're really excited to play them."
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