The AU field hockey team continued its hot streak Oct. 8, as the Eagles took down the College of the Holy Cross 4-0 in Worcester, Mass., to extend their winning streak to four games.
The Eagles (6-5, 2-0 PL) dominated Holy Cross (1-11, 0-2 PL) from the opening whistle, registering all four goals in the first half and never looking back.
Sophomore Jaclyn Anspach put the Eagles on the board in the first 15 minutes, when she ripped a shot past Holy Cross goalkeeper Kelly Sotsky.
The goal was Anspach’s third of the season, and junior midfielder Jenn Bradley earned her team-high fourth assist of the season on the play.
AU added to its lead 10 minutes later, as senior defender Tatum Dyer tapped in her first goal of the game on a perfectly placed penalty corner by midfielder Shelly Montgomery.
AU’s furious attack paid off once more three minutes later when Dyer fed freshman midfielder Canon Hirschler, who found the back of the net to give the Eagles a 3-0 advantage.
With all the momentum in AU’s favor, Dyer’s second goal of the game gave the Eagles a commanding 4-0 lead.
The shot was set up off another penalty corner; this time taken by freshman Courtney MacPherson.
Dyer’s second strike capped off a run of four goals in just 17 minutes for the Eagles, which allowed them to head into halftime with the game comfortably in hand.
The second half featured little action as neither team generated many scoring chances. Although the Eagles couldn’t find the net in the second frame, they were able to protect their lead and prevent the Crusaders from gaining any momentum.
AU goalkeeper Ashley Dalisera was barely tested all afternoon and ended up with her second, and no doubt easiest, shutout of the season.
The Eagles’ defense was tough from the start, holding the Crusaders to seven shots and needing Dalisera to only make three saves. The offense also excelled, generating 23 shots altogether, 16 of which came in the first half.
Overall, Dyer was the star of the show for AU. Her five-point game (two goals, one assist) was a career high and continued her strong senior season.
Last week, she was named AU Student-Athlete of the Week after scoring her first career goal in AU’s 3-2 Oct. 2 win against Temple University.
The Eagles will return to Jacobs Field for two home games this weekend.
AU will take on Colgate University Oct. 15 in the team’s final home conference game of the year before squaring off against the No. 3 University of Maryland Terrapins Oct. 16. The Terrapins are the defending NCAA Champions and are 11-1 on the season.
