NEW PALTZ, N.Y. — The SUNY Oneonta field hockey team put on an offensive clinic in their season opener, defeating Utica University, 7-1, Friday afternoon. Senior
Erin Clark (Somers, N.Y./Somers) led the attack with two goals and an assist while junior
Emilia Montgomery (Simsbury, CT/Simsbury) had one goal and made two defensive saves.
Montgomery recorded the first Red Dragon goal 1:24 into the first period. Clark received the penalty corner and passed it to freshman
Alexandra Howell () who sent the ball into the left side of the striking circle for Montgomery to score with a reverse shot. A little over a minute later, senior
Carly O'Connor (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas) put Oneonta ahead 2-0. Howell intercepted a Pioneer pass just outside the 25-yard line and got it to graduate student
Morgan Fleming (Harpursville, N.Y./Harpursville). Fleming got it back to Howell for her to pass it into the center of the circle to O'Connor for the goal.
Clark and freshman
Abigail Draper () extended the Red Dragons lead to four in the second quarter. After an illegal touch from a Utica defender stopped Clark's ball from crossing the goal line, she was allowed a penalty stroke where she beat the Pioneer goalie. Draper recorded her first collegiate goal with two minutes remaining in the half. After she pushed in the penalty corner, Draper got into the middle of the scoring circle with several Red Dragons and Pioneers, waited for the ball to be passed in and redirected it for the goal.
Senior
Michaela Maniscalco (Northport, N.Y./Northport) put the Red Dragons up five a couple minutes into the third quarter when she received a pass from Clark just inside the circle and fired it past the goalkeeper.
Utica's Alysaa Pisano ended the shut out with six minutes remaining in the third.
Clark and junior
Caitlyn Caulfield (Albany, N.Y./Guilderland) added the last two goals in the final minutes of the game.
Sophomore
Maura Leib (East Syracuse, N.Y./East Syracuse Minoa) started the first 40:51 in the cage for Oneonta, saved four shots and allowed one goal. Sophomore
Chelsea Dodenhoff (Islip Terrace, N.Y./East Islip) played the final 19:09 and did not face a shot. Maniscalco and senior
Larkin Uhl (Kingston, N.Y./Kingston) each recorded a defensive save.
The Red Dragons outshot the Pioneers 18-15 overall, 13-9 on target, and had a slight advantage in penalty corners, 9-8.
Oneonta returns to action tomorrow to play against St. Lawrence at 1 pm.
