MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – In a contest the Cardinals dominated from start to finish, the No. 14 Wesleyan field hockey team landed a second straight shutout while benefitting from three different goal scorers in a 3-0 win on Wednesday night from Hicks Field. Wesleyan (6-3, 2-3 NESCAC) continues to climb up the league standings while the Bantams (3-7, 1-5 NESCAC) have lost five of their last six games.
 
After 10+ largely uneventful minutes, Wesleyan turned up the pressure with seven shots in a span of 3+ minutes. Emily Smith '29 and Brooke Miner '28 each had two attempts on-target with Miner's being on a reverse sweep from just inside the circle that was lofted in the air, only to see Trinity goalkeeper Hayley Gable alertly turn the shot aside with her glove.  
 
The Cardinals found their breakthrough on a straight shot on a penalty corner just 41 seconds into the second quarter. Teddy Tolbert '28 inserted to the stick stop Miner, who set up Leila Feldman '28 for a blast that made its way past Gable and inside the left post for the opening goal.
 
Just under two minutes later, Wesleyan added another when Miner lofted a pass from the Cardinals' defensive end past midfield and up to Tolbert being the Trinity defense. Tolbert corralled the ball and carried in before reverse sweeping a low shot past Gable who came off her line to challenge Tolbert.
 
Wesleyan continued to push, looking for another goal before halftime and nearly had another if not for the stick of defender Alison Gerber. Georgia Adams '26 had a shot taken along the left side on a penalty corner that deflected high into the air past Gable but it was Gerber who came up with a goal-saving block with her stick to keep the deficit at 2-0.
 
The third quarter was more of the same with Wesleyan outshooting Trinity 8-0 in the stanza. The Cardinals were able to find an insurance marker in the 41^st minute when Marley Procopio '29 quickly turned upfield and passed to Patel who made no mistake inside the circle, finding a way to beat Gable who again came off her line as Wesleyan took a 3-0 lead.
 
Wesleyan thoroughly controlled the action, holding Trinity without a shot attempt for over 45 straight minutes in this one, while generating quality scoring chances all throughout the night. The three-goal margin could have been much worse for Trinity if not for the stellar play of Gable in cage as the senior goalkeeper made 15 saves, including a late denial in close on Patel after Adams thread the needle with a pass through three Bantam defenders.
 
Tolbert tallied one goal and one assist for the Cardinals while Miner had two assists for her first career multi-assist game. Procopio's assist on Patel's third quarter goal is her first collegiate point.
 
Audrey Pace '26 and Caroline Chung '28 combined for a shutout with just one save needing to be made in the contest. Wesleyan has four shutouts through nine games this season including two consecutive as the Cardinals shutout Amherst 1-0 at home last Saturday.
 
Wesleyan takes a two-game win streak on the road this weekend where the Cardinals first head to No. 11 Williams on Saturday at Noon.