SCRANTON, Pa. – Sophomore Annie Shaw (Exton, Pa./Villa Maria Academy) scored the go-ahead goal with 6:51 left in regulation and senior Katie Redding (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) added a hat trick as The University of Scranton field hockey team (6-1) toppled Vassar (5-2) with a come-from-behind 4-2 victory on Thursday night at Weiss Field in Scranton.
This marks the Royals' fifth straight win dating back to Sept. 6.
Things were deadlocked at two apiece in the 54th minute when Shaw was able to bury a shot inside the near post that gave the Royals a 3-2 lead. Shaw's shot came after a feed into the circle from junior Reagan Dolan (Broomall, Pa./Bonner & Prendergast).
Vassar grabbed an early lead in the seventh minute when Jaclyn Narleski tipped home an initial shot by Hailey Brigger for the 1-0 edge. Narleski struck again in the 19th minute with a shot following a penalty corner, but this is where the Royals began to mount a comeback and Redding tallied her first of the game just 0:53 later when she blasted a shot from the top of the circle following a penalty corner and a pass from Dolan. Throughout the remainder of the first half, both teams held strong defensively and Vassar maintained the 2-1 edge at the half.
In the early stages of the third quarter, senior Bridget Abraldes (Holbrook, N.Y./Sachem East) nearly evened the game at two but her shot was cleared off the line by Vassar defender Gianna Hoover. Abraldes then found Redding for the game-tying goal in the 38th minute to even things at two apiece. The two-all deadlock would hold until Shaw's afore-mentioned go-ahead goal in the fourth quarter, which came following a key save by junior goalie Gianna Travia (Havertown, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) in the 49th minute. After taking the lead, the Royals then added an insurance tally in the 57th minute as Shaw sent a pass across the circle to Redding who completed the hat trick and sealed the victory for Scranton.
Shaw's goal marked her second of the season, while Redding registered her third multi-goal game of the season and 12th of her career. Dolan also added two assists in the victory for head coach Colleen Moyer's team.
Scranton held a 10-7 shot advantage in the contest led by six from Redding and Travia tallied a pair of saves.
Sarah Dumaresq had three saves in the setback for Vassar.
The Royals will host Elizabethtown in Landmark Conference action on Saturday afternoon at Weiss Field with start time slated for 1 p.m.
--ROYALS--
