HAMILTON – One is all it took for the Colgate field hockey program to claim the win over Holy Cross on Sunday afternoon, and it was one it didn't have to wait long on as Meghan Minturn scored just 2:25 into the contest.

With the 1-0 victory, the Raiders improve to an undefeated 2-0 record in Patriot League play before traveling to Boston University for a two-game series next weekend.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
On a sunny afternoon the Raiders looked to make an early impact, one they did just 2:25 after the opening draw. After Campbell Matheis passed the ball into the offensive zone, it was centered to Ella Murphy at the top of the arc before Minturn swung it in for a 1-0 lead.

The goal was followed by lots of defensive play for the Raiders and several Holy Cross penalty corners followed. Colgate's defense held strong though, as it remained ahead 1-0 after one.

The defensive play continued as Colgate faced six penalty corners through the second quarter, but Anna Unger was steady in goal as the Raiders directed play to the open center field. Although shots on goal were 7-2 in favor of Holy Cross, Colgate remained ahead 1-0 at the half.

Returning from halftime, the Raiders began to generate more chances as they looked to increase their lead, but it still would be just a one-goal game going into the final 15:00.

After sacrificing 11 penalty corners to the Crusaders through the first half, the Raiders cleaned up the play to not allow any through the final 30:00. The move shifted play down the field where Colgate even generated four penalty corner opportunities of its own through the second half. It resulted in the Raiders holding a 15-14 edge in shots on the day and claiming the 1-0 win over Holy Cross.
 
STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
• Recording the first game-winning goal of her career was senior Meghan Minturn. She scored for the second straight game for four points on the year.
• With eight saves, junior goalkeeper Anna Unger recorded her third career shutout after earning one in each of her first two seasons.
• Behind the primary assist, first-year Ella Murphy holds two apples through the first two games.
• Also earning two straight assists was senior Campbell Matheis.
• With the win, Colgate is off to its first overall 2-0 start since 2018 and first 2-0 Patriot League start since 2014.
• The win snapped Holy Cross' five-game win streak in the head-to-head series. Colgate's last win against the Crusaders came in the 2014 campaign.
 
THE BOTTOM LINE
• Colgate 1, Holy Cross 0
 
RECORD UPDATES
• Colgate improves to a 2-0 Patriot League record.
• Holy Cross stands at 0-2 on the year.
 
HEAD COACH APRIL CORNELL'S TAKE
"Anna Unger played fantastic [in goal] and the defensive corner unit did a great job in the first half. We unfortunately gave up a few too many defensive corners, but we were really confident in our corner defense and with our regular practice, they're well-prepared to face those shots.

"Going into the second half we knew we could control the game a lot better than we had in the first so I'm really happy with the team stepping it up. That starts in the backfield all the way up for them to communicate well and be organized.

"Our depth on the field is incredible. We have seniors all the way down through our first-years who are strong, talented, and skillful that it's exciting to know that whoever we have going out on the field can step in and make an impact.

On the read against Boston U: "Every game is so crucial with only six games on the season. You never know how seeding is going to work out when playing just three different teams. This is a huge weekend for us and a huge confidence booster going into next weekend 2-0. It sets us up to be in a good position heading into Boston University, because playing back-to-back certainly isn't easy but both teams will be in the same situation. It'll be a shorter week to prepare compared to the last with the bye weekend, but we know how to prepare and we've been doing a good job at that."
 
UP NEXT
The Raiders travel to Boston U. for a two-game Patriot League series next weekend. The series starts with a 3 p.m. start on Saturday, March 27, before rounding it out in a 2 p.m. start on Sunday.
 
FOLLOW THE RAIDERS
For more information on the Colgate field hockey program, follow the Raiders on Twitter @ColgateFH and on Instagram at Colgate_FH.