Box Score

HAMILTON, N.Y. (9/30/06) – Freshman Katelyn Nerbonne (Bow, N.H.) scored Colgate’s first hat trick in head coach Cathy Foto’s 18-year tenure, but it was not enough to lift the Raiders (2-7) past No. 11 American (8-3) in the Patriot League opener for both teams on Saturday, Sept. 30, at Tyler’s Field.

Colgate was down 3-0 at halftime, but wasn’t about to give up. Nerbonne’s first goal came at the 44:57 mark, after she lifted the ball from near the top of the left side of the arc into the upper right corner of the cage. Eighteen seconds later, Nerbonne made it a one-goal game when she shot from low on the right side to beat AU goalie Allison Fayfich to her right.

American’s Denise Infante got her second goal of the game on a penalty corner attempt less than two minutes later to reestablish the Eagles’ two-goal lead. But Nerbonne took a feed from junior Natali Plesniarski (Hamilton, N.Y.) on the sideline and beat Fayfich from close range to make it a 4-3 game with 10:46 to play.

Senior goalkeeper Jacque DeMarco (Hudson, Ohio) led a stellar defensive effort by the Raiders, as they were outshot 23-4. DeMarco finished the game with 12 saves, including eight in the second half, and three other Raiders earned credit for defensive saves: junior Heather Davis (Greene, N.Y.), sophomore Maddie Watrobski (Penfield, N.Y.) and sophomore Lauren Carey (Medfield, Mass.). Fayfich did not record any saves. American was credited with 10 penalty corners, while Colgate was not awarded any.

Colgate is back in action on Tuesday, Oct. 3, when it travels to Syracuse to take on the Orange. Game time is 7:00 p.m. The Raiders return to Patriot League action next weekend when they host Holy Cross for an 11:00 a.m., game at Tyler’s Field.