ONEONTA, N.Y. -- The Oneonta field hockey team only needed one goal to earn their six straight win of the season as they defeated Wilkes, 1-0, in non-conference action Wednesday evening at All College Field. Junior
Abigail Draper (Remsen, NY/Holland Patent) recorded her first career game-winning goal near the end of the first half and was assisted by junior
Alexandra Howell (Holtsville, N.Y./Sachem East). Senior
Maura Leib (East Syracuse, N.Y./East Syracuse Minoa) finished with three saves in the win as she tallied her third shutout of the season while the Red Dragons improved to 6-1 on the season and the Colonels dropped to 4-3.
Though the game remained scoreless throughout the first half, Oneonta held possession of the ball for the majority of the time and registered five shots on goal, however they were all stopped by Wilkes' goalie, Chloe Gilroy. At 28:38 in the second quarter, the Red Dragons scored the lone, game-winning, goal off a penalty corner. Senior
Molly Miller (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) smacked the ball from the corner to the top of the shooting arc to Howell. Howell stepped to the right then she sent back a centering pass to Draper, who was 14 yards out and drove the ball past Gilroy and a Colonel defender for her first goal of the season.
Leib recorded all three of her saves in the second half to help the Red Dragons hang on to the shutout victory. Her first save of the contest was in the third period with a shot from Maddie Karp, then in the fourth period, the East Syracuse, N.Y. native made a pair of back-to-back stops with 10 minutes remaining against Emma Lautenbacher and Taylor Minick. Gilory finished the game with seven saves for the Colonels.
Oneonta outshot Wilkes 12-6 in total shots, 8-3 shots on goal, and they held a 10-5 advantage in penalty corners.
Draper's goal put her at eight points on the season, which is tied for fourth on the team with Miller. Howell's assist was her fifth of the year and she leads the team with 17 points.
The Red Dragons return to action on Tuesday, September 23, for a non-conference road match against Misericordia at 7 pm.
