HAMILTON – Despite a late tally by
Meghan Minturn, the Colgate field hockey program fell in a 4-1 final to Vermont on Sunday afternoon at Tyler's Field. In the final home game of the 2019 campaign, the Raiders honored their three-player senior class of
Nicole Salamone,
Iona MacKillop, and
Maggie Lake for Senior Day.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
The first quarter started with fast play across both ends of the pitch. Colgate saw a scoring chance early as
Iona MacKillop was alone in the circle but the ball was redirected wide by the Vermont keeper. The Catamounts would be the first to find the board with a long pass into the circle, and after being blocked by the defender, the ball was picked up and scored on the rebound down low for a 1-0 advantage. Vermont would then take a 2-0 lead late in the opening quarter with a dodge around the defenders and a wide shot.
Midway through the second,
Nora Mulroy intercepted the ball off a back, and entered the circle for a long shot. The opportunity pressured the defense for Colgate's top scoring chance of the quarter, but with the ball flying high over the cage, the Raiders entered halftime facing a two-goal deficit.
It reached the midway point in the third quarter before either team saw a corner opportunity. Vermont squared up for the first chance, and pitched a shot from the top of the circle that was blocked by
Taylor Casamassa. The defensive pressure forced the rebound to be sent high and wide, clearing the Colgate zone. The remainder of the third featured strong Colgate offense that connected long passes down the field and pressured the circle.
Colgate saw their first penalty corner opportunity early in the fourth quarter, but the shot was forced wide by the Catamounts traffic. With play rallying down either end of the field, Vermont drew another attacking corner, but
Meredith Rappaport blocked the ball high out of the zone. In a series of corners for the Cats, Vermont was able to capitalize on one of seven in the fourth quarter to gain a 3-0 advantage with under 10:00 remaining in regulation, before increasing its lead yet again just minutes later with a rebound for a 4-0 edge.
The Raiders continued to pressure the field as
Katie Anderson flew into the attacking third. After she served up a solid shot on goal that was sent wide,
Meghan Minturn followed up with a wide-angle shot. From the left side, Minturn's shot crossed high along the goal line and over the keeper for Colgate's lone goal of the afternoon. Despite the late tally with just 4:25 remaining, the horn would sound for a 4-1 final before the Raiders could close out a comeback.
STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
• With her goal, junior
Meghan Minturn recorded her third goal of the season. It marked her first since scoring against Cornell (Oct. 1).
• The Raiders also tallied two additional shots on goal by junior
Katie Anderson and sophomore
Carter Leahy.
• Sophomore goalkeeper
Anna Unger made six saves, her most since facing Boston University (Oct. 11).
• A clean first half, Colgate didn't sacrifice any corners to Vermont through the first 30:00.
• Colgate's nine shots on goal are the most since facing Holy Cross (Oct. 5).
THE BOTTOM LINE
• Vermont 4, Colgate 1
RECORD UPDATES
• Colgate holds a 2-14 overall record, with a 0-6 mark in the Patriot League.
• Vermont marks a 6-9 record on the season, and is 1-3 in America East.
COACH APRIL CORNELL'S TAKE
"We came out today really determined to win this game and fight hard for the entire game. We created opportunities on attack that I was excited to see. The last couple of games we haven't generated enough attack inside our circle, and today we definitely did. Unfortunately, there were a couple places where the whistle didn't hold the advantage, but we need to play through every type of play.
"The seniors are a really special group. It was awesome to play for them and honor them. In the type of season that we've had, where we've really competed well every game but haven't gotten the wins, I want their legacy for this program to be known. They have helped build our strong culture and a positive season. We always came out, got better in practice, and worked hard because of their determination and their leadership to keep improving."
UP NEXT
The Raiders conclude the 2019 campaign next Sunday, Nov. 3 when they face Bryant. A neutral site matchup taking place at Providence, the game is slated for an 11 a.m. start.
FOLLOW THE RAIDERS
For more information on the Colgate field hockey program, follow the Raiders on Twitter @ColgateFH and on Instagram at Colgate_FH.
