EWING, N.J. – Codie Sciacca went wild for a career-high four goals as the No. 21 TCNJ field hockey team got back on the winning track with an 8-0 home rout over Marywood on Wednesday afternoon.
The senior, who came in with three goals for her career, eclipsed that output by the first three minutes of the second quarter, scoring back-to-back goals in a 2-minute span to cap a four-goal outburst that took place over less than 10 minutes of game time.
Jadyn Huff assisted on two of Sciacca's second-quarter markers and hit the back of the cage twice herself, while
Lindsay Fehir netted her first collegiate goal for the Lions (5-3).
After a scoreless first six minutes,
Nika Eschmann broke through with the opening goal, stuffing in a loose ball in front of the cage, and the floodgates swung wide open.
Sciacca started her unforgettable afternoon two minutes later, tipping in a cross from
Kendal Justus at the right post following a corner insert by
Prisha Dhruve. The senior struck again just three minutes after that, collecting a rebound out of the air and slipping a backhand shot into the left corner of the cage to make it 3-0.
The deluge continued apace in the second quarter. Sciacca completed her first career hat-trick just 1:16 into the stanza, redirecting Huff's mishit shot high and into the right corner of the cage.
Less than two minutes later, Huff sent in a long cross from the right side, and Sciacca was there just in time to beat an on-rushing Marywood keeper and direct the ball high over the netminder's head and into the cage for a 5-0 lead.
TCNJ put in a sixth first-half goal about three minutes later.
Avery Vacca had her initial shot saved off a corner, but Huff collected the rebound and drove in a low shot that snuck through traffic and in for her second tally of the day.
After a scoreless third, Fehir opened her collegiate account with 11:32 to go as
Avery Gower dribbled through a crowd and into the left side of the circle before sending a cross-crease pass to the waiting stick of Fehir, who calmly tapped in from close range.
Huff capped the scoring with 6:45 remaining, taking a pass from Dhruve at the top of the circle and evading a defender before ripping a backhanded shot past the Pacer keeper for an 8-0 final.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- TCNJ held a 24-3 advantage in the shot department, putting up 18 in the first half alone
- The Lions injected 12 corners to just one for the Pacers
- Huff led all players with five shots (four on target), while Sciacca and Dhruve added four apiece
- Racheal Tetzlaff and Eschmann fired three shots each
STANDOUT LIONS
- Sciacca's four-goal explosion was the first multi-goal performance of her career
- Huff matched her season high with six points and posted her second career game with multiple goals and multiple assists
- Justus notched her first career assist
- Brigitte Racey made two saves before giving way to Casey Kozelnik for the final 9:52 of the combined shutout
NOTES
UP NEXT
- The Lions open NJAC play on Saturday, hosting William Paterson
