MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – Coming off a disappointing midweek lose to WPI, the Wesleyan field hockey team proved up to the task on Saturday with a 3-1 triumph over Colby from Smith Field. Wesleyan's victory signals the team's first 1-0 start to the NESCAC schedule since the 2010 season.
After dominating the scoring chances in the first quarter, outshooting the Mules 4-0 and generating the only two corners of the period, the Cardinals broke through off a corner in the wanning seconds. Receiving the insert,
Helen Deretchin '25 back passed to
Imani Ochieng '25 on the left wing who took an immediate shot into traffic. The ball took a deflection off the stick of
Addie Defeo '24, falling right to
Georgia Adams '26 who fired a backhander into the cage for the game's first goal with just six seconds left on the clock.
Searching for a second goal, the Cardinals hemmed the Colby midfielders and defenders on the Mules' defensive side for an extended period. Unable to find a clear, Adams corralled a loose ball and quickly moved upfield to create a scoring chance with Colby on their heels. As she drew closer to the keeper, she back passed to
Diana Schwarz '23 right in front who made no mistake shooting just inside the left post to make it 2-0 Cardinals with 4:05 left in the second.
Diana Schwarz '23 works around the Colby defense
Colby answered back less than two minutes later right before halftime as a shot from just inside the arc off a corner took a crazy deflection and landed on the stick of Casey Winslow in space. With time to shoot, her shot made it past
Audrey Pace '26 in goal to Lillian Kistner waiting at the near post. All Kistner had to do was guide the ball in to cut the lead down to one at the break.
Plenty of chances for both sides arose in the third quarter as each team was awarded four penalty corners, none of which ending in goals. The fourth quarter was a different story as the only corner awarded in the fourth ended in a goal for the Cardinals. The insert came to
Leah Ewers '23 on the near side and her shot into traffic took a deflection to the far post where
Annabel Cincotta '25 was waiting to nudge the ball past the goal line, making it 3-1 Wesleyan.
After Cincotta's goal, Colby managed just one shot, which was turned aside by Pace, for the remainder of play as Wesleyan finished off a victory to open NESCAC play.
Audrey Pace '26 with one of her three saves on the day
Adams continues to impress early on in the season as she posted one goal and one assist, as she has had a hand in three of the four goals scored for Wesleyan through two games this season. Schwarz tallied her first goal of the year and 17
th of her career as she was playing in her 32
nd career game. Cincotta netted her first goal of the season and fourth of her career.
Pace picked up her first career victory, playing all 60 minutes and making three saves for the Cardinals.
Wesleyan has a week to prepare for its next contest, a non-conference showdown with Wheaton set for Noon on Saturday, September 17 from Smith Field.
