Field Hockey Posts 2-1 Win Over Rider in Home Opener

Saturday, September 10

12 pm

Brown University

(1-2)

Rider

(2-2)

Rider

Brown

Field Hockey Posts 2-1 Win Over Rider in Home Opener

9/10/2016 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey

Box Score

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - With the score tied 1-1 in the second half, freshman Hannah Leckey (Madison, Conn.) scored her first collegiate goal for the game winner at 51:59 to lead the Brown field hockey team to a 2-1 win over Rider in its home-opener at Goldberger Family Field on Saturday afternoon.

Brown (1-2) showed resiliency in the first half after Rider (2-2) scored early to open the game (4:16) and took a 1-0 lead. At 23:41, freshman Gina Openshaw (Annapolis, Md.) also scored her first collegiate goal, and tied the game 1-1. Senior captain Leah Zavalick (Glastonbury, Conn.) registered the assist on the play when she carried the ball into the circle and dished it to Openshaw who put it in in front of the net.

The opening half ended with sophomore goalkeeper Katie Hammaker (Ephrata, Pa.) turning away an impressive nine shots. Rider had the advantage in overall shots for the period at 11-3.

Brown's offense started to gain momentum in the second half, and was rewarded with a penalty corner at 51:53, when Leckey would score the eventual game-winning goal. With Leckey taking the corner, she sent a pass out to Zavalick, who quickly passed it to freshman Ali Dunning (Amersham, England), who easily found Leckey to the left of the net where the rookie was able to put the ball past the Rider goalie for the score and a 2-1 Brown lead. The Bears defense then worked the ball around the field efficiently, preventing Rider from scoring.

The second half ended with shots even at 3-3. Hammaker concluded the game with 10 saves while Voirrey Baker did not record a save in the contest for Rider.

For the game, Brown had three penalty corners to Rider's one.

The Broncs' lone goal of the contest at 4:16 came when Allison Baligian tipped in a high rebound.
"I was really pleased with our corner execution today," said head coach Jill Reeve. "It is terrific to have freshmen tallying goals early in the season. I was also happy with our ball movement all game."

The Bears next host Sacred Heart on Friday, Sept. 16 for a non-conference game starting at 4:00 p.m.