ONEONTA, N.Y. -- The Oneonta field hockey team dismantled Elmira for a 9-2 victory Wednesday afternoon at All College Field. Senior
Alexandra Howell (Holtsville, N.Y./Sachem East) finished the game with 11 points, recording four goals with three assists. Her 11-point performance is ranked second all-time in program history, trailing only Karen Graves '71, who totaled six goals for 12 points against New Paltz on October 23, 1970, Oneonta's inaugural season. The win improved the Red Dragons to 2-2 this season, while the Eagles dropped to 1-4 overall.
"Today was a great team win," said Head Coach
Kelly Kingsbury. "We had some great ball patterns and focused on some of the small things we have been struggling with recently. I'm happy with our progress in those areas."
Howell scored the first goal of the game, and the first of three Oneonta goals, at 2:12 in the opening period. She received the ball inside the shooting circle and got past two defenders as she brought it towards the cage for a shot that went by the keeper for the goal. Two minutes later, at 4:45, the Red Dragons had a penalty corner and got the ball inside to Howell, then she passed the ball to the far side post to junior
Nina Contrera (Rochester, NY/Hilton Central), who tapped it in for the goal.
Howell rounded out the first period with her second goal of the game at 11:12. On an Oneonta counterattack, she had a give-and-go with junior
Miranda Colacchio (Lagrange, N.Y./Arlington) and got the ball back at the top of the shooting circle. The senior captain ran up towards the cage and scored off a tomahawk.
The Red Dragons extended their lead to 5-0 with two more goals in the second quarter. Junior
Nora Trimarchi (South Glens Falls, N.Y./South Glens Falls) got the ball off a penalty corner and fired a shot near the top of the shooting circle that was kick saved. Trimarchi then sprinted towards the loose ball and lasered a second shot that went straight into the back of the cage.
At 23:26, freshman
Gaby Ackley (Windsor, NY/Windsor Central) received the ball from midfield and brought it towards the shooting circle before she delivered a pass. The ball went through the legs of an Eagles' defender towards Howell, who turned around and rifled the ball in for her third of the game.
Oneonta's offense continued to stay hot in the third quarter and totaled another four goals. Sophomore
Isabella Cunha (Carle Place, NY/Carle Place) started it off within the first minute of the second half when she received the ball from Ackley inside the shooting circle for an open shot on goal. Senior
Abigail Draper (Remsen, NY/Holland Patent) made it 7-0 during a penalty corner. Draper received the ball back from Howell for a shot that ramped off the stick of an Eagle defender, over the head of the goalie and into the cage for the goal.
At 40:12, the Red Dragons were on the counterattack when Howell got the ball from Colacchio in front of the cage, then sent a pass to the far post to senior
Jessica Owens (Poughquag, N.Y./Arlington) for the open goal.
Howell recorded her fourth goal and the last goal of the game at 42:13 off a penalty corner. Graduate student
Gabby Alfinito (Mohegan Lake, N.Y./Lakeland) pushed the ball out to Draper, and she passed it over to junior
Marissa Stephan (Sayville, N.Y./Sayville). Stephan dished a pass to Howell, who fired a shot from the top of the shooting circle that bounced by the goalie and in for the score.
Elmira scored twice between Draper and Owens' goals in the third period. Peyton DeMaio scored the Eagles' first goal at 35:55 with a pass from Talia Nash out of a penalty corner. A few minutes later, Riley Dutcher scored with an assist from Madison Fleming during another penalty corner opportunity.
Neither team was able to score in the fourth as Oneonta kept the seven-goal difference into the final whistle.
Freshman
Eva Klessel (Bronxville, NY/Bronxville) started the game in the cage for the Red Dragons and finished with five saves in 45 minutes of play. Klessel currently has a .815 save percentage while allowing 1.36 goals a game. Freshman
Lilia Lepre (Patchogue, NY/Patchouge Medford) came in for the 15 minutes and totaled two saves. Freshman
Maggie Kennedy (Fishkill, NY/John Jay) made her second defensive save of the season after stopping Nash's shot in the third period.
Elara Rodriguez totaled 13 saves for the Eagles.
Oneonta outshot Elmira 28-11 in total shots, 23-10 on target, and they finished with an 18-15 margin in penalty corners.
The Red Dragons are on the road for their next match on Friday, September 18, against Brockport at 5 pm.
