ONEONTA, N.Y. -- The Oneonta field hockey team battled and withstood Castleton in their home opener to beat them in double overtime, 3-2, Saturday afternoon on All College Field. Graduate student
Caitlyn Caulfield (Albany, N.Y./Guilderland) scored the game winning goal in double overtime with a penalty stroke, her second goal of the season. Senior
Molly Miller (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) finished with a goal and an assist, and sophomore
Nina Contrera (Rochester, NY/Hilton) recorded a goal, her fourth of the season, to force overtime. The win improved the Red Dragons to 3-1 overall, while the Spartans dropped to 0-3 this season.
Miller gave Oneonta the lead at 11:58 in the first period off a pass from junior
Abigail Draper (Remsen, NY/Holland Patent). Draper reset the ball at the 25-yard line then she brought it just inside the shooting circle and dished it down to Miller. Miller smacked the ball down midflight to gain possession and immediately shot it low into the left side of the cage past the Spartans' goalie. The assist was Draper's fourth of the season, tying her assist total from last season.
Just over a minute after Miller's goal, Castleton tied the game with a score from Gwyn Vincent. The contest remained tied entering halftime, then the Spartans took a 2-1 lead at 43:50 in the third period with a goal from Emilee Higgins.
With less than 3:30 minutes to play in regulation, the Red Dragons tied the game off the stick of Contrera. Miller received the ball at the 25-yard line, then moved it into the right side of the shooting arc. The senior sent a pass over the stick of a Castleton defender to Contrera, who was in front of a wide-open cage for the goal. Neither team broke the draw in the final minutes of regulation, and the match went into overtime.
After the first 10-minute overtime period, junior
Alexandra Howell (Holtsville, N.Y./Sachem East) had a breakaway opportunity at 74:33, but a Castleton defender ran up and bumped into Howell inside the shooting circle and awarded Oneonta a penalty stroke. Caulfield took the penalty stroke and beat the keeper on the left side of the cage to win the match.
Senior
Maura Leib (East Syracuse, N.Y./East Syracuse Minoa) finished with 10 saves, including a pair of cruicial stops in the first overtime period, for the Red Dragons, while Zoe Martin recorded eight saves for the Spartans.
Both teams recorded 18 shots total, Oneonta had the advantage in shots on target, 15-12, and penalty corners, 13-6.
The Red Dragons are back in action on Wednesday, September 10, when they host Hartwick in the Battle of the Hills at 4 pm on All College Field.
