POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – After falling behind 1-0 in the third minute of play, the No. 22 ranked Wesleyan field hockey team put on a clinic in a dominating 4-1 road win at Vassar on Saturday afternoon. The Cardinals are 2-0 to start a season for the second straight year. Prior to 2023, the last time the team started 2-0 was back in 2010.
 
The Brewers struck first just 2:13 into play as Sofia Beseth buried a penalty stroke goal. The only two shots in the remaining 12+ minutes of the first quarter both came from Georgia Adams '26 as Vassar kept hold of their 1-0 lead.
 
The script flipped in the second quarter as Wesleyan scored twice, outshooting Vassar 11-0 and generating nine penalty corner opportunities compared to none for the Brewers.
 
The breakthrough came at 19:17 when Adams received a pass deep in the circle. With her back to goal and two defenders on her, Adams managed to backhand a pass to Annabel Cincotta '25 at the opposite post who beat her defender to the ball, poking home the equalizer.
 
Adams was again involved in the go-ahead and eventual game-winning goal at the 27:05 mark. On what was the eighth penalty corner of the quarter for Wesleyan, Helen Deretchin '25 inserted to Kenzie Mauro '27 who stick-stopped at the center of the circle for Adams who lined up a shot that skid off the turf and inside the left post. That goal is Adams' team-leading third of the season.
 
Wesleyan found another goal midway through the third quarter when Deretchin hit a liner deep into the circle that found Cincotta's stick. The deflected pass fell to Mauro right in front who managed to get enough on her shot attempt to sneak inside the right post and make it 3-1 Cardinals at the 36:35 mark.
 
Kenzie Kelly '25 put the game away in the opening minute of the fourth quarter. Adams gifted a perfect pass to Kelly in the attacking end of the field. Kelly sprinted onto the ball and carried into the circle before she lifted a shot up and over the Vassar goalkeeper's outstretched left leg to give the Cardinals a three-goal advantage.
 
Adams, Cincotta, and Mauro each finished with one goal and one assist in the contest. Kelly's marker gives her goals in both games to start the season.
 
Audrey Pace '26 made two saves in goal before making way for Athena Vadnal '25 and Caroline Chung '28 who handled the final 10+ minutes.
 
For the game, Wesleyan outshot Vassar 27-4 including a 24-2 advantage over the final three quarters. The Cardinals also held a massive 17-2 advantage in penalty corners. The 17 corners are the most Wesleyan has generated in a single-game since an 8-4 win at Salve Regina back on October 18, 2022.
 
Wesleyan is back in action on Wednesday at 6:30 PM in a historic game as the Cardinals welcome Western New England in what will be the first-ever game played on Hicks Field, the brand new Poligras Paris AstroTurf surface