EWING, N.J. – The No. 17 TCNJ field hockey team took care of business at home with a 4-2 victory over Keystone Monday afternoon.
The Lions (10-5) struck early in the first with a pair of quick scores from
Claire Engebreth and
Carly Cole, before holding off a second half comeback from the Giants (9-4) after a timely fourth quarter goal from
Rayhanah Ahmed.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- TCNJ struck first in the fourth minute of the game when Ahmed found Engebreth on a well-placed cross from the right side of the field. The assist tied Ahmed's single season best mark of nine, which she recorded last season.
- Three minutes later, the Lions again found the back of the cage on a Cole goal off the feed from Bella DiNardo, who passed the ball off the rebound of a saved Mackenzie Hart shot attempt.
- DiNardo found the back of the cage herself seven minutes into the second quarter by hitting a deep shot from just inside the shooting circle. The junior's fourth goal of the season sent the Lions into halftime with a commanding 3-0 lead.
- Keystone cut into TCNJ's lead in the third on a tip-in score by Angelina Morley nearly eight minutes into the second half. Early in the fourth, the Giants made it a one score game on a Maria Tomada goal.
- TCNJ immediately responded a minute later as Ahmed scored the insurance goal through three Keystone defenders off a perfect cross from DiNardo on the right side of the field.
STANDOUT LIONS
- DiNardo recorded the first multi-assist game of her Lions career, and second game with both an assist and a goal.
- Ahmed recorded her seventh game of the season with both an assist and a goal.
- Cole scored one goal on seven shots
NOTES
- TCNJ held a lopsided 12-to-3 shots advantage at halftime, before ending the game with a 25-to-7 shots difference.
- The Lions finished the game with 15 penalty corners, to the Giants' six.
- With her goal and assist, Ahmed now ranks second in the NJAC in total points with 29.
- Maria Tomada represented Keystone's offense as she was responsible for both scores while finishing with six of the Giants' seven shot attempts as a team.
- Keystone swapped goalies at halftime
UP NEXT
The Lions will celebrate senior day on Wednesday when the team hosts Gettysburg at 4 p.m. The senior day celebrations will take place immediately following the game.