MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – The No. 13 Wesleyan field hockey team had their hands full on Tuesday night with a Roger Williams squad that gave the Cardinals all they could handle, but in the end the Cardinals prevailed in a 4-3 win under the lights at Hicks Field. Wesleyan improves to 4-1 on the season while RWU falls to 4-3.
Balanced scoring led the way for Wesleyan as four Cardinals scored in the one-goal win.
Sydney Cameron '26 and
Meera Patel '29 netted first half goals while
Leila Feldman '28 scored early in the third quarter and
Georgia Adams '26 broke loose and scored early in the fourth to complete the scoring.
The high-scoring affair begun when Maddy Monahan slid a pass to Chelsea King in transition who scored just 2:35 into the contest.
Wesleyan stormed back with six shots on-goal in a span of less than three minutes before finally converting on a penalty corner when
Brooke Miner '28 slapped a shot that was deflected in off Cameron's stick to tie the score at the end of the first quarter.
The Cardinals took their first lead of the game 3:18 into the second quarter when Cameron intercepted an outlet pass deep in the Hawks' defensive end. Instead of shooting when she entered the circle, Cameron wisely passed to Patel right in front of goal who turned and slid the ball past Hannah Brazil.
Back-and-forth the game went as Monahan and King connected once again for another RWU goal before halftime. Monahan won the ball back in the Cardinals' defensive end, carried into the circle, and passed to King who stepped in front of her defender to knock in the game-tying goal.
The Hawks very nearly took a lead into halftime if not for a diving save from
Audrey Pace '26 who denied Lexi Yost with a kick save with her right foot. That save from Pace came out of a transition shot as the Hawks had a 3-on-1 break following a long outlet pass.
Feldman then scored the go-ahead goal 1:38 into the second half as the sophomore forward used her speed to carry in and just as she entered the circle, Feldman wound up for a powerful shot that beat Brazil low and to her right.
Adams made it 4-2 Wesleyan 1:50 into the fourth quarter with a lofted reverse sweep shot that Brazil did get a piece of with her blocker, but Adams' shot was hit with enough power to fall over the goal line.
After over 30 minutes with no goals, RWU suddenly struck off a penalty corner as Hannah Timbrouck deflected in a shot taken from Grace Rocheleau to cut the deficit in half with 3:51 remaining.
The Hawks continued to push and had one last chance with under three minutes remaining but Pace turned aside a shot from Elizabeth Duquette to secure the win.
Shots favored RWU 17-14 in this one while Wesleyan had an 8-6 edge in penalty corners. Cameron's goal is her first of the season while Patel scored her second and both Feldman and Adams netted their third. Cameron added an assist for a three-point night.
Next up is a big clash on Saturday when the Cardinals travel to face No. 8 Bates at 11 AM in Lewiston. The two sides met in the NESCAC Quarterfinal last season in a game that went into double overtime and ultimately a penalty shootout won by the Bobcats. The last time Wesleyan defeated Bates in Lewiston was back in 2014.
